Angel Reese returned from a weeklong break intent on giving the short-handed Chicago Sky another spark as they opened a four-game road swing in Minneapolis. Missing starting center Kamilla Cardoso, the Sky relied on Reese’s relentless work on the glass against Napheesa Collier’s Lynx while eyeing a second straight victory.
Eight minutes into the second quarter, Reese corralled a missed free throw—her third board of the night and the 650th of her young career. She reached that milestone in just 51 games, shattering Tina Charles’s 2011 benchmark of 58 contests. The former LSU star now owns the fastest path to 650 rebounds in league history, an achievement that underscores the rebounding dominance she flashed as a rookie.
Reese’s résumé grew even louder because she entered the matchup with 661 career points; that combination makes her the quickest player ever to hit both 650 points and 650 rebounds. Charles once held that dual record as well, but Reese trimmed seven games off the pace. It’s merely the latest line on a growing list of feats for the 23-year-old who briefly held the single-season rebounding record last year before an injury opened the door for A’ja Wilson to snatch it back.
Yet even with Reese’s torrid board work, her overall production still trails the league’s brightest headline generator, Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever guard is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds in her sophomore campaign, numbers that dwarf Reese’s 12.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Clark’s stat-sheet stuffing has already earned her the top spot in All-Star fan voting and a captain’s role in the mid-season showcase, reinforcing that Reese’s historic rebounding pace still leaves her a tier below the multifaceted Clark.
Chicago wraps up its trip Tuesday in Washington before returning home, where Cardoso’s eventual return should ease Reese’s workload. For now, the Sky forward can savor her latest record while recognizing that the path to true superstardom still runs through Clark’s all-court brilliance.
About the Author
