Angel Reese set a WNBA single-game record with 26 rebounds in the Atlanta Dream’s 78-71 win over the host Los Angeles Sparks on Monday, pushing her past the league’s season record in the same game.
“Last time I was here, I didn’t miss any shots. Tonight, I couldn’t hit s---, so I knew I was going be able to get them on the rebounding side,” Reese said on the postgame show on Peacock. “I just want to be consistent for my team. Offensively, defensively, whatever it takes to win.”
The record night came on the heels of Reese scoring a career-high 31 points in Atlanta’s win at Phoenix on Saturday. With their win Monday, the playoff-bound Dream completed a 4-0 West Coast trip and are 25-13.
“Angel’s been remarkable on this trip,” Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said. “You can see her getting better each month.”
Reese surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw’s record of 24 rebounds, set on May 23, 2003, for the Washington Mystics. Reese now has 458 rebounds in 37 games on the season, seven more than A’ja Wilson’s mark set in 2024, in 38 games.
Reese’s previous single-game career high in rebounding was 22, set in her rookie season in 2024 with the Chicago Sky.
On Monday, Reese secured her WNBA-leading 27th double-double of the season on a basket with 13.9 seconds left that gave her 11 points. She is one double-double shy of tying the single-season record set by Alyssa Thomas in 2023.
“That’s a talent,” Dream guard Allisha Gray said. “I’m just in awe watching her rebound.”
A three-time WNBA All-Star, Reese led the league in rebounding her first two seasons and is on track to do so again, averaging 12.4 in 2026.
As a college star, first at Maryland and then LSU, Reese was also a rebounding force. She finished her college career averaging 12.3 rebounds and had a single-game high of 28 as a junior in 2023. She had nine games of 20 or more rebounds, all at LSU.
Reese, 24, now has 1,281 career rebounds in 101 WNBA games.
The WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder is recently retired Tina Charles, who had 4,262 in 473 games over 14 seasons. Reese credited Charles -- who twice had games of 23 rebounds in the WNBA -- with giving her advice when they played against each other in the league.
“All the vets pour into me,” Reese said after Monday’s game. “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. So I’m really grateful for them, especially Tina.
“I remember last year when I was playing against her and how she was giving me little keys to playing around the basket and doing things to make yourself consistent and try to be one of the best players. And I just want to do that every single night.”
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
