The Los Angeles Sparks retired the jersey of two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker at halftime Sunday, but Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese was in the spotlight by game’s end.
The Sky (5-11) turned a one-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a 92-85 win over the Sparks (5-12) while Reese polished off her fourth double-double in a row. She notched 24 points and 16 rebounds, both game highs, and tied another game high with seven assists.
The second-year star now has a league-record-breaking four straight games with at least 15 rebounds.
“I always say to myself before every game, ‘God doesn’t give me any storm that I can’t handle,'” Reese told ESPN postgame.
“The first eight games, I played terrible, and I wasn’t coming up for my team. So I tried to find other ways to come up for my team. I had seven assists [today], and that’s the thing that matters to me: Getting the ball to my teammates ’cause I know they can hit shots, and they did that tonight.”
During that season-opening, eight-game stretch Reese alluded to, she averaged just 10.1 points on 35.8% shooting while making only 67.7% of her free throws and committing 3.9 turnovers per game.
She entered Crypto.com Arena Sunday having averaged 13.4 points on much-improved 42.9% shooting over the previous seven games. In that span, she shot 86.5% from the charity stripe while turning the ball over only 2.9 times per game — plus, she averaged 4.7 assists, 2.1 more per game than she delivered in her first eight outings.
Reese then shot 10 of 19 from the field Sunday against the Sparks, made all four of her free throws and registered her second-highest assist total this season. She also blocked a pair of shots.
Rebounds are practically a constant for Reese, who leads the WNBA in total rebounds and in boards per game. While returning to form after her sluggish start to the year, Reese leaned into the criticism she’s received online about her frequently rebounding her own misses.
She transformed the flak into a branding opportunity as well as philanthropic effort, releasing her “Mebound” clothing line. Some of those proceeds will go toward the Angel C. Reese Foundation to “help fight against cyberbullying,” Reese said on social media earlier this month.
Reese’s stat-sheet-stuffing performance Sunday came without center Kamilla Cardoso in the lineup. Cardosa, who is averaging 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds this season, is representing Brazil at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Chile and is one of several players currently missing WNBA games for international competition.
Luckily for the Sky — who lost guard Courtney Vandersloot to a season-ending ACL tear earlier this month — they got Reese a lot of help against the Sparks.
Five Chicago players scored in double figures, including guard Kia Nurse, who offered 14 points off the bench. Nurse hit three of the Sky’s 11 3-pointers. Fellow guard Ariel Atkins chipped in two of her own long-range makes and finished with 20 points.
“My biggest word is opportunity,” Reese told ESPN postgame. “When your opportunity comes, you maximize it. I think everybody comes off the bench and steps up and plays their role and executes it. I mean, we miss Mill (Cardosa). We’re happy to have her back next game, but I think we came in, and we played really, really hard, and we really wanted it.”
The Sparks, who have lost five of their last six games, were led by Kelsey Plum’s 22 points. Plum, however, shot only 4 of 16. Forward Dearica Hamby clocked out with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double.
It wasn’t enough against a Reese-led Sky team that’s got some life heading into the All-Star break, despite its less-than-ideal start to the season.