Angel Reese reacts after being named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Image credit: Imagn)

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was named the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the week for week seven of the WNBA regular season on Tuesday. The news comes on the heels of Reese recording her 13th straight double-double over the weekend, marking a new WNBA record.

The award was given to Reese for her play during the week of Jun. 27, running through Jul. 7. During that time, Reese and the Sky went just 2-3, however, her play earned her widespread praise from fans and analysts alike as she racked up five straight double-doubles.

Throughout week seven, Reese averaged 16.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per game, putting her alongside two-time defending champion A’ja Wilson, who was named the WNBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week.

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Angel Reese took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to the situation, writing:

“God don’t play bout me. BLESSED”

In addition to breaking the WNBA’s record for most consecutive double-doubles, Angel Reese also notably eclipsed the 275-point, 225-rebound, and 30-steal mark in 20 games, landing her in second-place all time behind Yolanda Griffith for the fastest player to record 275 points, 225 rebounds and 30 assists. While Reese did so in 20 games, Griffith did so in 19 games back in 1999.

“She’s not surprising me” – Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon praises Angel Reese following record-breaking double-double

As previously mentioned, Angel Reese’s double-double on Sunday marked her 13th straight double-double, breaking Candace Parker’s longstanding record from the 2009/10 seasons. While the record breaking performance for Reese came in an 84-71 loss, Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon praised the rookie after the game.

As she explained after the game, she isn’t surprised to see Reese thriving out on the court because of the work she puts in behind the scenes. While speaking to media members post-game on Sunday she praised Angel Reese and her record-breaking performance, saying:

“It’s absolutely amazing to see. She might be surprising herself, but she’s not surprising me. It’s something that she can do because it’s something that she puts the work in to be able to do. And it’s a will and want-to… it’s awesome to see the work that you have to put in to be able to do this.”

Given her historic play, and the fact that the Sky already have a better record than they did at this time last year, many believe that Reese deserves to be the frontrunner in the Rookie of the Year race. While she and Caitlin Clark sit well ahead of the pack, Reese still has a way to go before surpassing Clark as the favorite.

Currently, per FanDuel, Caitlin Clark has -600 odds to win the Rookie of the Year award, with Angel Reese in second place with +350 odds. For reference, Rickea Jackson sits in third place with +25000 odds, making it clear that this is a two-woman race.

With just four games to go before the WNBA All-Star/Olympic break, including Wednesday’s clash with the Atlanta Dream, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the season plays out for Reese and the Sky.