Angel Reese reached 1,000 career rebounds in 79 games—fastest in WNBA history—during the Atlanta Dream’s 113-96 win over the Indiana Fever. The milestone adds to a season loaded with records as she credits Dream coach Karl Smesko for sharpening her offensive r
Angel Reese knew the moment counted the instant she crashed for a second chance.
At the 4:29 mark of the third quarter in the Atlanta Dream’s 113-96 win over the Indiana Fever. Reese grabbed an offensive rebound after a miss by Allisha Gray and quickly turned it into two points. By the time the game ended. the stat line carried a new weight: Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1. 000 career rebounds. doing it in 79 games.
Reese’s 1,000 rebounds in 79 games beat the previous mark set by Tina Charles, who reached the milestone in 89 games.
“I think people don’t realize, rebounding is harder than you think. Defensive rebounds (are) a little bit more easier, but going in and crashing every single time to get second-chance opportunities on the offensive end,” Reese said.
For her. the work on the offensive glass isn’t just a personal achievement—it changes what Atlanta can do every possession. “You can look statistically, but not just from my shots but from my teammates, and it gives us more points. It gives us more opportunities. Just being able to come out and do what I do every single night just shows my consistency.”.
Through the first 14 games of the season. Reese is averaging a double-double for the third consecutive season. posting career-highs of 15.1 points. 12.2 rebounds. and 2.9 assists. She leads the league in rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game (5.9). Her ten double-doubles this season also tie the Dallas Wings’ Jessica Shepard for the most in the WNBA.
The 1,000-rebound burst is just one piece of a season that keeps breaking into new territory. Reese set a new WNBA record for the most double-doubles through a player’s first 75 career games. reaching 57 in the Dream’s 82-75 win over the Chicago Sky on June 9. Her career total tied Blake Griffin for the second-most in that time span when the NBA is included. with only Shaquille O’Neal (63) recording more double-doubles through the first 75 games of a career over the past 40 years. according to ESPN.
Reese reached 900 rebounds in only 71 games on May 29, the fastest to that mark in WNBA history. She then logged another milestone on June 2, recording the 1,000th point of her WNBA career in the Dream’s 91-75 win over the Connecticut Sun.
What’s striking is how much of the rebound progress she ties to coaching.
Reese credited Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko for helping her improve her rebounding and shooting abilities. On June 9, she said, “He’s very intentional with my development, even with my rebounding. 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 message comes after Reese’s transition to Atlanta. The 24-year-old was traded to the Dream in the offseason after playing two seasons in Chicago. where she was drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2024. In her rookie season. she set a single-season franchise record for total rebounds (446) and became the fastest WNBA player to reach 20 double-doubles in a season.
The sequence matters: Reese’s offensive rebound for two points on Tuesday wasn’t an isolated moment—it landed inside a broader run of records that started earlier in the season and kept accelerating week by week. Each new benchmark sits on top of the same theme she described: offensive rebounds as an engine for “more points” and “more opportunities.”.
As Atlanta moves forward, Reese’s 1,000-rebound mark in 79 games stands as the headline. But the story inside it—how quickly she’s producing, and how directly she connects it to Karl Smesko’s coaching—has turned her season into something fans will measure far beyond box scores.
Angel Reese Atlanta Dream WNBA records 1000 career rebounds Tina Charles Karl Smesko Indiana Fever double-doubles
1,000 rebounds in 79 games is insane.
Wait so that’s like… rebounds total since college?? Also Atlanta Dream better be winning every game if she’s crashing for second chances like that.
Fastest in WNBA history but doesn’t Tina Charles have like the record too? I feel like I’ve seen the stat before. Offensive rebounds are easier?? I mean if they’re scoring off misses then sure, but defense rebounds are harder right?
Angel Reese really just be grinding the offensive glass and turning it into points like it’s automatic. But why do they keep mentioning the coach? Like I know Karl Smesko is doing something, but aren’t the players the ones actually grabbing the ball?? Also 113-96 sounds like a blowout so of course rebounds happened.