Rookie Angel Reese will look to make WNBA history on Sunday when the Chicago Sky take on the host Seattle Storm for the second time in three days.
Reese posted a season-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds in Chicago’s 88-84 victory over Seattle (13-7) on Friday, matching Candace Parker for the longest double-double streak in league history. Reese has now recorded at least 10 points and 10 boards in 12 straight games as she goes for a WNBA-record 13th consecutive double-double.
The Sky (8-11) also benefited from a season-best 33 points from Chennedy Carter.
Chicago built a 59-51 lead by scoring 19 of the first 28 points of the third quarter, and it took a 70-64 advantage into the fourth. The Storm were within two at 84-82 with 20.9 seconds left in the game, but Reese sank four free throws down the stretch to allow the Sky to hold on.
“There was still composure,” Chicago coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “Even in this hostile environment, the composure was still there. The game is about runs, the game is about momentum shifts and (the players) did a hell of a job shifting the momentum back in our favor.”
Meanwhile, the Storm saw an eight-game home winning streak come to an end in the defeat. Seattle got 20 points from second-year forward Jordan Horston as all five starters scored in double figures, but as a team, the Storm went just 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from 3-point range.
Center Ezi Magbegor, who nearly notched a triple-double with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots, hit the shot that cut Seattle’s deficit to 84-82 in the fourth quarter, but the Storm never found a way to draw even.
Seattle forward Nneka Ogwumike is hoping her team can come out of halftime with more authority on Sunday.
“We allowed a 30-point third quarter,” Ogwumike said. “That’s something that when you play a team like that, you just can’t do that. That’s tough right there. And of course toward the end we were able to make our push and yeah, the clock ran out.”
Sunday’s game will serve as a rubber match for the teams’ three-game season series, which is currently tied 1-1.
–Field Level Media
