Even in defeat, Angel Reese made history again. The Chicago Sky forward posted 10 points and 17 rebounds in Monday’s 79-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust Arena, marking her 20th double-double of the season. With that effort, she moved past Tina Charles for the most double-doubles (46) across a player’s first two WNBA seasons.
Reese has been a consistent force all year, averaging 14.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27 games this season. Since returning from a back injury earlier this month, she has elevated her play even further, averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists across her last four outings.
“She’s in year two, and I don’t think it’s farfetched to say she’s on her way to being the greatest rebounder in basketball history,” Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said. “She’s relentless. It’s a natural instinct she has, but she also has the fight and experience that gives her energy to keep going.”
Marsh added that one of his early points of emphasis with Reese was to balance efficiency with her work on the glass.
“I told her her offensive rebounds might go down a bit because her efficiency would go up, but I needed her defensive rebounds to stay the same or improve,” he said. “She’s made a conscious effort to be a force on the defensive glass, and it’s showing.”
HISTORY MAKER 👑
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 26, 2025
with 20 double-doubles this season, Angel Reese tops the leaderboard, passing Alyssa Thomas and A’ja Wilson.
she also surpassed Tina Charles for the most double-doubles in a player’s first two seasons, notching her 46th.@CrownRoyal | #skytown pic.twitter.com/cEvUsZgA88
Ariel Atkins Takes Over the Scoring Load
While Reese was rewriting the record books, Ariel Atkins kept Chicago within striking distance with her best offensive showing of the year. Atkins dropped 30 points — the highest single-game total by a Sky player this season. Moreover, she recorded seven assists and four rebounds.
Her 19 points in the first half helped offset Las Vegas’s perimeter attack, and her fourth-quarter buckets gave Chicago a chance late. Rookie center Kamilla Cardoso added another double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, anchoring a Sky frontcourt that dominated the glass.
The Sky outrebounded the Aces 53-30 and held a 36-26 edge in points in the paint. But turnovers again proved decisive: Chicago gave the ball away 18 times, leading directly to 18 Las Vegas points.
“We won almost every aspect today — glass, second-chance points, fast break points, points in the paint,” Marsh said. “We played pretty well, but again, turnovers continue to haunt us.”
Las Vegas Aces Seal Playoff Spot
Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 22 points, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. A’ja Wilson added 18 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Chelsea Gray chipped in 14 points and seven assists, and NaLyssa Smith scored 10.
The victory pushed the Aces to 25-14, their 11th straight win, and secured their place in the postseason.
Chicago fell to 9-28 despite a strong third-quarter surge. Meanwhile, the night included a celebration at halftime, when the franchise retired the jersey of Candace Parker. The ceremony honored the two-time MVP and Naperville native who guided the Sky to their lone WNBA championship in 2021.
Angel Reese Keeps Making History
Angel Reese already ranks among Chicago’s top 10 in total rebounds and top five in offensive boards. In addition, Marsh views her growth as both a reflection of her instinct and her determination.
“She’s finding herself more and more into who she is and who she can be moving forward,” he said.
The Sky will look to rebound Thursday when they travel to Phoenix to face the Mercury at Footprint Center. Chicago is still searching for its first win of the season in the head-to-head series.
