Angel Reese Grabs WNBA-Record 26 Rebounds, Breaks Single-Season Mark Too

Angel Reese put her name in the WNBA record book twice in one night.

The Atlanta Dream forward grabbed 26 rebounds in a 78-71 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday at Crypto.com Arena, breaking the single-game rebounding record of 24 set by Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw for the Washington Mystics on May 23, 2003, according to the Associated Press. Earlier in the same game, Reese passed the single-season rebounding record, finishing the night with 458 boards, seven more than A'ja Wilson's mark set in 2024.

Reese didn't shoot particularly well. She finished with 11 points, well below her season averages, but made up for it with 18 defensive rebounds and eight offensive rebounds, according to the New York Times. As a team, the Sparks pulled down 32 rebounds. Reese alone had 26.

"Last time I was here, I didn't miss any shots. Tonight I couldn't hit (anything), so I knew I was going to be able to get them on the rebounding side," Reese told the postgame show, according to the AP. "I just want to be there for my team. Offensively, defensively, whatever it takes to win."

The basket that clinched her 27th double-double of the season, tops in the league, came with 13.9 seconds left, according to Al Jazeera. Dream teammate Allisha Gray, who led Atlanta with 20 points, didn't hold back on what she watched.

"That's a talent," Gray said. "I'm just in awe watching her rebound."

A Career Built on Rebounds

Reese has led the WNBA in rebounding in each of her three professional seasons, according to the New York Times, and owns the three highest single-season rebounding averages in league history. No other player has ever averaged 12 rebounds a game for a season; Reese is doing it again this year at 12.0 per game, after posting a rookie-record 13.1 per game in 2024, per the AP.

She also holds the all-time WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles: 15 straight, set with the Chicago Sky in 2024. Her recent stretch has been strong: 21 points and 10 rebounds against Las Vegas, a perfect 9-of-9 shooting night against the Sparks with 10 rebounds and eight assists, and 31 points, 14 rebounds and four steals against Phoenix that earned her AP Player of the Week honors, according to the New York Times.

The Bigger Picture for Atlanta

Monday's win capped a perfect 4-0 road trip for the Dream (25-13), who moved to within a half-game of third place in the WNBA standings with six regular-season games left, according to the Japan Times and Field Level Media. Atlanta swept the season series against Los Angeles 3-0 and has now beaten the Sparks nine straight times dating back further than this season, per Al Jazeera.

Rhyne Howard scored 18 points, passing 3,000 for her career, and Gray set an Atlanta franchise record with 247 field goals in a season, according to ABC News. Naz Hillmon added 12 points off the bench.

For the Sparks (13-25), Nneka Ogwumike posted a season-high 27 points and 16 rebounds in a losing effort. Cameron Brink added 15 points and five blocks, and Dearica Hamby scored 15, but Los Angeles was already eliminated from playoff contention after Thursday's loss to Atlanta, according to the Japan Times. The Sparks were also without third-leading scorer Rae Burrell, who missed the game with illness.

The Dream had scored a franchise-record 124 points against the Sparks in their previous meeting last week but managed only 40% shooting Monday, according to Field Level Media.

What's Next

Atlanta has already clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season, according to the New York Times, and the postseason will be Reese's first trip to the playoffs in her three-year career. She's also set to represent Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in September, her first appearance with the senior national team.

The Dream host Portland on Friday. The Sparks, playing out the string with nothing left to chase this season, host Washington the same day, according to ABC News. Reese has six regular-season games left to add to a rebounding total that, as of Monday night, no player in WNBA history has matched.