Angel Reese had already established herself as one of the WNBA’s most relentless rebounders. On Tuesday night, she put her name at the top of the record book.
Reese grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds, the most by a player in a single game in WNBA history, while adding 11 points, three assists and three steals as the Atlanta Dream defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 78-71. Her historic night helped Atlanta complete a perfect 4-0 West Coast road trip and finish a 3-0 season sweep of the Sparks.
The performance also pushed Reese to 452 rebounds this season, surpassing A’ja Wilson’s previous WNBA single-season record of 451 set in 2024. Reese recorded her 27th double-double of the season, putting her two shy of breaking the current WNBA single-season double-double record.
For Atlanta, the records came on a night when the Dream had to work through a slow start before finding another level after halftime.
“I don’t think we came out great tonight,” Reese said. “We were a little slow coming out and just trying to rally the team together, bring a lot of energy.”
That energy arrived in the third quarter. Atlanta returned from halftime with more urgency, and coach Karl Smesko pointed to the opening minutes of the second half as the stretch that changed the game. Gray and Reese helped fuel the response, while Jordin Canada created opportunities by attacking the basket.
“I thought we had a different intensity about us to start the third quarter,” Smesko said. “I think we knew we needed to make a push, and our players pulled together, made the push.”
Gray led Atlanta with 20 points and six assists on 7-for-11 shooting, while Rhyne Howard finished with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists. Naz Hillmon added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Reese’s 11 points gave the Dream four double-digit scorers. Gray also finished with a game-best plus-20 rating.
Atlanta did not have its best shooting night from the perimeter, finishing 6-for-28 from 3-point range, but the Dream compensated by controlling the glass. Atlanta outrebounded Los Angeles 48-32 and collected 15 offensive rebounds compared with seven for the Sparks. Reese alone accounted for 26 of Atlanta’s 48 rebounds and grabbed eight on the offensive end.
Her presence underneath the basket has given Atlanta’s perimeter players an added level of confidence when shots are not falling.
“We know Angel down there somewhere, so you just stay confident and shoot,” Gray said.
Gray followed that approach against the Sparks. She made seven of her 11 field-goal attempts and converted four of five free throws. Her six assists tied Ariel Atkins for the game high, and she credited Atlanta’s willingness to move the basketball for creating quality opportunities.
“We passed the ball well, was able to find an open shooter,” Gray said. “Shooters shoot, so you just got to stay confident … and just continue shooting.”
Gray also pointed to Reese’s ability to turn offensive rebounds into more than putbacks. Reese can secure the ball, make the next decision and find a teammate for another opportunity. She also encourages Atlanta’s shooters to remain aggressive after misses.
Reese’s impact extended to the defensive end. Along with her historic rebounding performance, she finished with three steals and consistently looked to disrupt Los Angeles’ offense.
“For me, just kind of staying consistent on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively, trying to get into passing lanes, disrupt,” Reese said.
That focus on consistency has now produced a place in WNBA history. Reese’s 26 rebounds established the league’s single-game mark, while her 452 total rebounds moved her past Wilson for the most in a single season. Her 27th double-double also moved her within striking distance of another single-season record.
Reese said afterward that she appreciates the history attached to those accomplishments, particularly because of the players who helped build the league before her. She spoke about veterans who have offered advice throughout her young career, including Tina Charles.
“The players that have come before me were able to do so many amazing things so I can be in this very moment right now,” Reese said.
Rather than chasing individual numbers, Reese said her goal is to consistently give Atlanta what it needs.
“I want to be able to show up for my team every night,” Reese said. “I think the personal goals, they come with it when you’re great every night and you show up for your team and you’re consistent.”
Los Angeles had its own dominant frontcourt performance from Nneka Ogwumike, who scored a game-high 27 points and collected 16 rebounds. Ogwumike shot 11-for-19 from the floor and made all five of her free throws. Cameron Brink added 15 points, eight rebounds, five blocks and three steals, while Dearica Hamby finished with 15 points. Atkins contributed 10 points and six assists.
Reese came away impressed by Ogwumike’s ability to consistently reach her preferred spots and turn those opportunities into points.
“She’s so consistent with getting to her spots,” Reese said, adding that Ogwumike’s ability to score at multiple levels is something she can learn from.
The Sparks shot 39 percent from the field but struggled from the perimeter, making just three of their 18 attempts from beyond the arc. Atlanta shot 40 percent overall and also struggled from deep, but its overwhelming rebounding advantage helped create the separation needed to finish the game.
The victory capped a demanding road swing in which Atlanta won all four games. The Dream had only one day between games during portions of the trip, and Smesko credited his players for responding to the challenge and continuing to find ways to win.
“We respond the same way each time we face adversity,” Smesko said. “We pull together. It’s not about pointing fingers or anything like that. It’s about coming together and figuring out how to win the next game or how to be better.”
That connection has become part of Atlanta’s identity as the postseason approaches. Reese described her teammates as sisters and said the relationships built away from basketball have helped strengthen the group on the court. The four-game West Coast trip provided another opportunity for those relationships to grow.
“Everybody pours into each other,” Reese said. “It just feels really, really good, especially with a group like this going into the playoffs and knowing how important it is for team chemistry.”
Gray echoed that confidence, pointing to Atlanta’s ability to get production throughout its lineup and the trust the players have developed in one another.
“We have so many bucket getters on the team,” Gray said. “From the starters to the bench, everybody just comes in with a lot of confidence.”
That confidence will become even more important when Atlanta reaches the postseason. For Reese, it will be her first WNBA playoff experience, but Gray said she has little concern about whether her teammate will respond when the intensity increases.
“She steps up for the big-time moment,” Gray said. “I think the only difference is it’s a playoff game, a little more intense, but Angel definitely matches the intensity of the game.”
On Tuesday night, Reese matched the moment and made history in the process. Her 26 rebounds established a WNBA single-game record, her 452 total rebounds established a new single-season mark, and her 27th double-double moved her closer to another piece of league history.
More importantly for Atlanta, the performance resulted in another win.
The Dream leave Los Angeles at 24-13 after completing a 3-0 season sweep of the Sparks and a perfect 4-0 West Coast road trip. Gray, Howard, Hillmon and Reese all scored in double figures, Atlanta dominated the rebounding battle, and a team preparing for postseason basketball ended its trip with one of its stars rewriting the WNBA record book.
