In what will almost certainly go down as one of the most unforgettable—and unforgivable—moments in professional sports, Chicago Sky standout Angel Reese experienced a meltdown on the court so jarring that critics argue it has “set women’s basketball back a generation.” Over the span of a mere 15 seconds, Reese secured four offensive rebounds and missed four consecutive layup attempts, leaving fans and analysts alike aghast, social media in uproar, and the league’s credibility momentarily in tatters. As the clip exploded online, pundits questioned not only Reese’s fundamentals but also the state of the WNBA and the broader future of women’s sports.
The Play: How 15 Seconds Became Infamy
The setting was a nationally televised matchup between the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Late in the first quarter, with the Sky trailing by a handful, Reese swooped in for her first offensive rebound. From that moment, what should have been a routine put-back spiraled into a train wreck:
Missed Layup No. 1 (11:12 left in Q1):
Reese grabbed a pass from the wing and rose under the basket. Instead of a simple roll to the rim, her shot clanked hard off the backboard.
Missed Layup No. 2 (11:06 left):
Unfazed—or so it seemed—Reese crashed the glass again, secured a second offensive board, and immediately went up for another easy scoop. It, too, failed to find the bottom of the net.
Missed Layup No. 3 (11:00 left):
On her third rebound in seven seconds, Reese attempted a left-handed finish in traffic. The ball slipped through her fingers, rolling off the rim.
Missed Layup No. 4 (10:57 left):
Within three seconds, Reese hauled in her fourth offensive board in less than 15 seconds and once more rose for a close-range bucket…only to miss yet again, this time catching an edge on the rim.
By the time she stepped back, dazed and frustrated, the Liberty had transformed a potential momentum-shifting sequence into their own fuel. Opposing coach Dawn Staley later ridiculed the sequence as “a basketball clinic gone horribly wrong,” while onlookers gasped at how quickly an NBA-style highlight could devolve into a blooper reel.
“I don’t know what happened,” Reese told reporters afterward, adjusting her headband.
“I felt strong, I had position—then it just wasn’t going in. I’ve got to dust myself off. It’s a bad night, but I’ll move on.”
In Fox–style fashion, let’s not mince words: that was more than a “bad night.” That was an embarrassment of historic proportions.
Immediate Fallout: Social Media Erupts
Within seconds of the fourth miss, the ESPN broadcast cut to a stunned studio panel, but it was too late—the clip was already trending:
“NEW: This belongs in the ‘Blooper of the Year’ reel,” tweeted one viral sports account.
