Angel Reese entered the WNBA with a lot of hype due to her successful collegiate career. With the LSU Tigers — Reese was a two-time All-American, an SEC Player of the Year, a national champion, and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
There were certainly questions: whether her game would translate to the WNBA when the Chicago Sky drafted the LSU product with the seventh pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Reese quickly answered those questions. As a rookie, Reese made the All-Star team, stayed in contention for Rookie of the Year with Caitlin Clark for a good portion of the season, and won WNBA Rookie of the Month in June.
The end of Reese’s historic rookie season came to an end after sustaining a wrist injury in a win against the Los Angeles Sparks last Friday. In her final game of her rookie season, Reese recorded her rookie record 26th double-double (24 points and 12 rebounds), with her final made basket being a three-pointer.
Reese set several rookie and WNBA records during her first season in the league. Here’s a list of the WNBA records Reese broke.
Angel Reese’s Historic Season
Which WNBA records did Angel Reese break?
–Rebound Average: Reese finished the season averaging 13.1 rebounds per game, which is on track for the highest in WNBA history.
–Total Rebounds: Reese grabbed a total of 446 rebounds, surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ total of 404 rebounds.-Total Offensive Rebounds: Reese grabbed a total of 172 offensive rebounds.
–Games with 10-Plus Rebounds: Reese is the first player in WNBA history to record multiple games of 10-plus offensive rebounds and 10-plus defensive rebounds. Reese also broke the all-time rookie record for consecutive games with 10 or more rebounds.
–Consecutive Double-Doubles: Reese had 15 consecutive double-doubles.
–Total Double-Doubles for a Rookie: Reese finished the season with 26 double-doubles, the most ever by a rookie. Alyssa Thomas holds the single-season record with 28 double-doubles.
–Consecutive 20-Plus Rebounds Games: Reese is the first player to record three straight games with 20-plus rebounds.
Which Chicago Sky Franchise Records Did Angel Reese Break?
-Best Rebounding Start: Reese recorded 43 rebounds in her first — five games, which is the most to begin a Chicago Sky career.
-Double Figures: Reese was the first rookie in Chicago history to score in double figures in each of her first five games.
-Single-Game Rebounds: Reese tied the Sky’s single-game rebounding record with a career-high 22 boards.
-The 20-Points, 15-Rebounds Game: Reese is the only rookie in team history to record 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in the same game.
Angel Reese’s Impact on WNBA Viewership
The rise in popularity of the WNBA — thanks to players like A’ja Wilson, Clark, and Reese having historic rookie seasons — their success on the court and off the court — has led to a record number of viewership which is boosting the popularity of the league.
According to ESPN, the viewership percentage is up 170 percent from the average regular season viewership from the 2023 season.
Games that Reese has been a part of have helped lead to significant WNBA viewership records. Reese played in the most watched WNBA game in 23 years when the Sky faced Clark and the Indiana Fever on June 25th, which drew 2.3 million viewers.
Reese played in the most-watched WNBA All-Star Game in league history, averaging 3.44 million viewers. In Reese’s and Clark’s final head- to-head matchup in their rookie seasons, it was the most watched WNBA game on ION — 1.6 million viewers.
What’s the Next Step for Angel Reese?
She was the second most productive rookie during the 2024 season, behind Clark. She will have earned All-Rookie honors despite her season-ending a little early.
Reese finished her rookie season averaging a double-double — 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. Reese is only scratching the surface and if she continues to improve, then Reese will be a great player in this league for a long time.
Although it’s disappointing that Reese didn’t get the opportunity to finish out her rookie season and potentially help the Sky make the playoffs, the future is bright for Reese.
Main Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
