After winning Olympic gold, Brittney Griner made her first appearance in the second half of the season against one of the toughest teams in the league: the Chicago Sky. “I mean, I’m just looking forward to the game… I don’t really hit the goal against people my size really ever,” she said. And, just like that, Griner handed Chicago Sky and their 6’7″ Kamilla Cardoso an upsetting 85-65 loss today. However, Sky’s standout rookie still achieved a historic feat for her team—this time, not just a double-double.

In the August 15th game against the Phoenix Mercury, Angel Reese truly stood out. Along with her 18th consecutive double-double, ‘Chi-town Barbie’ hit 300+ rebounds today. By doing so, she became the first player in the women’s league to accomplish this feat in the first 25 games. She achieved this with a mere average of 31.5 minutes per contest in her rookie season.

Despite the loss in her last game, she proved to be a force to be reckoned with, grabbing an impressive 15 rebounds with 11 points in 33 minutes of gameplay. However, her scoring contribution was relatively low as she shot 4-14, and her team lost by 20 points. Nevertheless, Reese’s excellence on the court cannot be overlooked, as she accomplished the historic feat in the first game of the second half.

With her speed and double-double average of 13.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per contest, it seems she’ll soon challenge the record for most double-doubles. Currently, that record is held by Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, who set the record last season with 28 double-doubles in a single season. These achievements are crucial for Reese at this point in time.

Angel Reese needs more records!

Right now, the Maryland native is neck and neck with her arch-rival rookie, Caitlin Clark. Notably, the Indiana Fever rookie boasts a triple-double record and a feat of 19 assists in a single game. Reese, on the other hand, holds the record for the most double-doubles by a rookie in a single season and the record for hitting the most 300+ rebounds in a single season.

Each game and each record from here on will determine the fate of the Rookie of the Year accolade this season. Clark averages 17.1 points and 8.2 assists per game in the half-season, but the Indiana Fever standout has an edge over Reese. Clark is also renowned as the vital reason behind the WNBA’s viewership surge this season.

Moreover, the 2024 WNBA draft pick also boasts 2.8 million Instagram followers. To add to that, Clark and the Fever will face the same team, the Phoenix Mercury, in their first game of the second half. While it was the first time the Chicago Sky faced the Phoenix Mercury, the Indiana Fever had already played two games against them. And both games were in Indiana Fever’s favor.

Now, all that’s anticipated are the answers: Will Caitlin Clark accomplish a record in the upcoming game to move ahead of Reese? Will the Indiana Fever be able to add another win to their two-game streak against Mercury?

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.