MINNEAPOLIS — Angel Reese became the WNBA’s single-season rebounding leader with eight games left on Sunday in the Chicago Sky’s 79-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, who got 22 points from Courtney Williams.
Reese finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds for her 24th double-double, a league rookie record. She has 418 rebounds for an average of 13.1 per game, with her total surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ record of 404 in 2018. The 6-foot-3 Reese also broke the record for offensive rebounds with 165, passing Yolanda Griffiths (162 in 2001).
Reese and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces are the only players in the league with at least four games of 15-plus points and 15-plus rebounds this season.
Williams tied a season-high in scoring for the Lynx (24-9). Kayla McBride added 17 points and Napheesa Collier scored 15.
The Lynx, who had their six-game win streak snapped Friday with a 94-76 loss to the Dallas Wings, are a league-best 8-1 since the Olympic break.
The Sky (11-21) lost its sixth straight. The Sky’s lead over Atlanta for the final playoff spot fell to one-half game with the Dream set to play at the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday night.
Kamilla Cardoso led the Sky with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting and had nine rebounds. Michaela Onyenwere scored 15 points.
Collier and Williams each scored four points in a 14-4 opening run and the Lynx never trailed.
The Sky went on an 11-2 run to open the fourth quarter and tied it at 62-all when Diamond DeShields made a driving layup with 7:41 to play. Williams answered with back-to-back pull-up jumpers 24 seconds apart to put the Lynx in front for good.