The New York Liberty were very intent on making sure Angel Reese’s record double-double streak came to an end during Saturday’s game.
Reese entered Saturday’s game having accumulated a double-double in 15 straight games, which was already a WNBA record. With 18 seconds left, however, Reese was stuck on eight points and needed two more to keep her streak alive.
Reese knew it, as she aggressively called for the ball in the low post on the Chicago Sky’s final possession. The Liberty were well aware of it too. As soon as Reese got the ball, she was ruthlessly and aggressively quadruple-teamed, leaving her with no choice but to lob the ball back out to the perimeter.
Liberty were NOT letting Angel Reese get that double double they quadruple teamed her pic.twitter.com/zMWydeehpt
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) July 13, 2024
Ultimately, Reese did not get the ball back, and she did not hide her frustration as she left the floor as time ran out. She wound up finishing with eight points and 16 rebounds in an 81-67 loss.
One could argue that the Liberty’s aggressive defense was a little bit petty. On the other hand, critics could very easily argue that Reese trying to keep her streak alive in that spot while down 14 points could qualify as stat-padding. As long as Reese was trying to score, Liberty players had every right to deny her that by any means necessary.
Reese shot just 3-for-13 in the loss. She had plenty of chances to get the points she needed long before the final possession, but could not get it done.
