COLLEGE PARK, GA ― Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese is in a league of her own.
Reese recorded her 29th double-double of the season in the Dream's matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Aug. 30, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds at the 5:40 mark of the 4th quarter to set a new WNBA single-season double-doubles record. Alyssa Thomas previously held the record with 28 double-doubles, which she set while playing for the Connecticut Sun in 2023 during a 40-game regular season.
"I dream so big, and I think there's no dream that is so big. So many people write me off. So many people have doubted me. Coming into the league and being the seventh pick, nobody thought I was gonna be able to be in this position, but I knew. And the people in my
circle knew," Reese said pregame about the milestones and record she continues to set."I was supposed to be in this moment, and it was destined for me. So, it really doesn't surprise me. I'm just really grateful, and I'm thankful. I don't take any moment for granted at all, because this is an opportunity of a lifetime, and a lot of people really, really wish they could be here. So, I'm really grateful, and I'm really excited. So every milestone, every record is just destined to knowing who I am."
🚨 HISTORY MADE 🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 30, 2026
Angel Reese has recorded her 29th double-double this year, setting a new WNBA record for the most in a single season!#WNBASeason30 pic.twitter.com/k9AO61hN3Q
Reese is averaging a double-double for the third consecutive season, bolstered by a career-high 16.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals through 38 games. She leads the league in total rebounds, offensive rebounds (5.1 per game) and double-doubles (29).
Reese has been a double-double machine since being selected out of LSU with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Chicago Sky. In her rookie season, Reese recorded 15 consecutive double-doubles to set a record for the longest streak since Candace Parker had 12 in a row between the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Reese also set a single-season franchise record for total rebounds (446) for the Sky and became the fastest WNBA player to reach 20 double-doubles in a season in her first year in the league.
The 24-year-old was traded to the Dream in the offseason after two seasons in Chicago and picked up right where she left off. Reese recorded the 57th double-double of her career on June 9 to set a new WNBA record for the most double-doubles through a player's first 75 games. The feat tied Blake Griffin for the second-most in that time span if you factor in the NBA. Only Shaquille O'Neal (63) recorded more double-doubles through the first 75 games of their career over the past 40 years, according to ESPN. Tim Duncan and David Robinson each had 53.
Reese credited Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko for helping her improve her rebounding and shooting abilities.
"He's very intentional with my development, even with my rebounding," Reese said back in June. "I thought I was a great rebounder before and (he's) very intentional about how I can be ... better. He talks about the (Sacramento) Monarchs and how they will win the best rebounding teams in history. He wants me to be a part of that and our team to be that too. ... It's just a matter of time you'll be able to see the results."
That's not the only milestone Reese has achieved this year. She reached 900 rebounds in only 71 games on May 29, the fastest to that mark in WNBA history. She scored the 1,000th point of her WNBA careerin the Dream's 91-75 win over the Connecticut Sun on June 2. On August 24, Reese set a WNBA single-game record with 26 total rebounds (18 defensive and eight offensive boards) and also set a new single-season record with 458 total rebounds. She surpassed the previous mark of 451 rebounds set by Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Dream's Angel Reese sets WNBA single-season double-double record
