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What makes Angel Reese’s 500-rebound season unprecedented?
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- What makes Angel Reese’s 500-rebound season unprecedented?
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Angel Reese posing for the camera at an event.
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Angel Reese reaches 500 rebounds
Angel Reese became the first player in WNBA history to reach 500 rebounds in one season during Atlanta 's September 19 win over Chicago . The Dream forward reached the milestone while recording her 31st double-double.
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Atlanta beat Chicago 106-81 at State Farm Arena as Reese finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. The performance pushed her season total beyond a threshold no previous WNBA player had reached.
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Angel Reese breaks the previous record
Reese had already broken the previous WNBA single-season rebounding record before reaching 500. She surpassed A'ja Wilson's former mark of 451 on August 24 during Atlanta's road victory against the Los Angeles Sparks .
That August 24 game produced two records for Reese. She grabbed 26 rebounds against Los Angeles , setting a WNBA single-game mark while also moving beyond Wilson's 451 rebounds for one season.
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Angel Reese dominates offensive rebounds
Reese also owns the WNBA single-season offensive rebounding record in 2026. Atlanta confirmed the mark during an August road stretch, repeatedly creating extra possessions while maintaining its league-leading rebounding pace.
Her offensive rebounding strength has separated her statistically since her rookie year. Reese collected 172 offensive rebounds in 2024, then surpassed that WNBA single-season record during her 2026 campaign with Atlanta.
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Angel Reese reaches 500 in 44-game format
Reese reached 500 rebounds during the WNBA's 44-game regular-season schedule in her 42nd game of 2026. Atlanta later completed the regular season with a 30-14 record.
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Her 2024 rookie season offers another comparison because Reese played 34 games and collected 446 rebounds. She averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which remains the highest single-season rebounding average in WNBA history.
Angel Reese posing for the camera against rolex green backdrop at an event.
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Angel Reese reaches 31 double-doubles
Reese recorded her 31st double-double of 2026 against Chicago, extending another WNBA single-season record. She had already set the mark at 29 on August 30 during Atlanta's victory over Minnesota .
The Chicago performance paired 23 points with 10 rebounds, giving Reese another double-double while Atlanta won by 25 points. She also led all scorers during the Dream's final regular-season home game.
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Angel Reese reaches 1,000 career boards
Reese reached 1,000 career rebounds in her 79th WNBA game earlier in the 2026 season, the fastest in league history. She reached the milestone during Atlanta's June 20 victory over Indiana .
The achievement came during Reese's third professional season. She entered 2026 with the league's top two single-season rebounding averages, averaging 13.1 rebounds per game in 2024 and 12.6 in 2025.
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Angel Reese changed teams in April
Chicago traded Reese to Atlanta on April 6, 2026, after two seasons with the Sky. Chicago received first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, while Atlanta received 2028 second-round pick swap rights.
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The move followed a Chicago tenure in which Reese collected 446 rebounds as a rookie in 2024. That total ranked second in WNBA history at the time and remains the league's rookie single-season rebounding record.
Angel Reese posing for the camera at an event
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Angel Reese returns with World Cup gold
Reese returned from the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup with a gold medal before resuming Atlanta's season. She appeared in all six games for the United States, averaging 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Team USA went 6-0 in Berlin and won a fifth straight Women's World Cup title. Reese collected 30 rebounds across the tournament, including nine against China and six each against Czechia and Hungary.
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Angel Reese enters Atlanta playoff race
Atlanta improved to 28-14 after beating Chicago and held fourth place in the WNBA standings. The Dream had already secured a playoff berth before closing the regular season with two games against New York in Brooklyn.
Atlanta won both games, finishing the regular season 30-14 and securing the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
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Angel Reese gets balanced Atlanta support
Reese's performance against Chicago helped Atlanta secure a third consecutive victory. The Dream scored 106 points, while Allisha Gray , Rhyne Howard , Jordin Canada and Isobel Borlase each reached double figures.
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Canada finished with 11 points and 10 assists. Gray scored 17, Howard added 14, and Reese led Atlanta with 23 points. Borlase contributed a career-high 18 points in the 106-81 victory.
Fun fact:Reese had 198 offensive rebounds at the point highlighted by the Atlanta Dream, 53 more than the WNBA's next closest player. The Dream noted that 57 qualified players had fewer than 53 offensive rebounds at that point in the season.
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Angel Reese shares another record night
Atlanta also set a WNBA single-season record for steals during the Chicago win, reaching 347. The Dream recorded 13 steals, with Isobel Borlase and Allisha Gray collecting three apiece on defense.
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That defensive record gave Atlanta another league milestone during Reese's historic rebounding game. The team's 13 steals accompanied a 55-34 second-half scoring advantage that turned a close contest into a comfortable home victory.
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Angel Reese earns weekly league honor
Reese was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on August 25 after Atlanta completed a 3-0 West Coast stretch. She averaged 24.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 steals.
That award week included a perfect 9-for-9 shooting game against Los Angeles. Reese became the first WNBA player with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists without missing a shot.
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"Focus on who is here," Angel Reese responds to A'ja Wilson's Team USA absence , framing the roster shift around the players available and the team's immediate international goals.
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Angel Reese adds third All-Star honor
Reese earned her third WNBA All-Star selection in July, making the team in each of her first three seasons. At the time of her selection, she led the league with 11.8 rebounds per game.
By September, Reese was averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for Atlanta. Her 12.4 rebounding average led the WNBA as the Dream approached its final two regular-season games in Brooklyn.
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In other news, check out How Sophie Cunningham spent her much-needed WNBA break.
Does Angel Reese's 500-rebound season stand out more because of the record itself or the pace she maintained across multiple seasons? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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