Angel Reese made WNBA history on Saturday, becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 career rebounds in just 79 games. The Atlanta Dream forward achieved the milestone during a 113-96 victory over the Indiana Fever, further solidifying her impact since joining the team in April. Reese finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and one block, helping the Dream improve to 10-4 on the season.
Reese, acquired from the Chicago Sky in exchange for two first-round draft picks, has been a dominant force for Atlanta. She has recorded a double-double in 11 of 14 games this season, and the Dream are 9-1 when she achieves that feat. Her offensive rebounding has been particularly notable, as she emphasized the difficulty of consistently crashing the glass for second-chance opportunities.
"I think people don't realize rebounding is harder than you think," Reese said postgame. "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—you look statistically, they're not just from my shots. They're from my teammates, and it gives us more points. It gives us more opportunities."
The Fever, meanwhile, struggled with foul trouble and turnovers in the loss. Caitlin Clark, who led Indiana with 26 points, committed seven turnovers and appeared emotional in the postgame press conference. She criticized her team's second-half performance, noting they "all we do is foul" and struggled to execute offensively as a result.
"What we did well in the first half was play in transition, spray, find open people," Clark said. "And then it's really hard to do that when all we do is foul and they score." Fever coach Christie Sides also addressed the foul issues, suggesting both correctable errors and potential officiating biases contributed to the problem.
Tensions between Clark and Reese have been evident throughout the series, with both players exchanging words during the game. The rivalry dates back to their college days, with Reese's taunting of Clark during the 2023 National Championship game sparking ongoing animosity. Despite the personal friction, Reese has remained focused on her team's success, stating she joined Atlanta to win a championship.