Dream vs. Sun: Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard Set WNBA Single-Season Records for Double-Doubles and 3s

The record book got a serious workout in College Park on Thursday night. Angel Reese collected her 30th double-double of the season, a WNBA record, and Rhyne Howard knocked down the 129th 3-pointer of her season, another league record, as the Atlanta Dream turned the league's first game back from the FIBA World Cup break into a 103-59 beatdown of the Connecticut Sun.

Reese, a key piece of the U.S. team that won the World Cup in Germany, scored 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes. Connecticut never led, and Atlanta's lead eventually swelled to 45 at Gateway Center.

Slow Burn, Then a Bonfire

For a half, the Sun at least made it a game. Atlanta led 22-17 after the first quarter and 45-35 at the break, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had all 13 of her points before halftime. Connecticut was hanging around mostly on the strength of Nelson-Ododa's efficient work around the basket.

Then the third quarter arrived and the Dream simply took the game away. Midway through the period, a 16-5 Atlanta run pushed the lead to 61-40, and Reese punctuated the stretch by stepping into a corner 3, her 10th field goal on 13 attempts. Atlanta won the quarter 31-11, finishing it on a 10-0 run that spilled into the fourth, and it was 76-46 entering the final 10 minutes. The fourth was more of the same, a 27-13 Atlanta frame that included a 9-0 burst and plenty of minutes for the end of the bench. Even the deep reserves joined the party. Indya Nivar splashed a 25-footer and added a driving layup in five minutes of action, Sika Kone hit a triple of her own, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored Atlanta's final basket with 1:43 to play.

The record moments came late. Howard's arrived first, with 6:45 left in the game, when she connected from beyond the arc. It was her only make in nine attempts from deep on the night, and it was the one that counted: No. 129 for the season, breaking the WNBA mark Sabrina Ionescu set in 2023. The AP noted Howard got there in just 40 games.

Reese sealed her own piece of history moments later. A free throw with 5:38 left got her to 30 points, and seconds later she corralled rebound No. 10, locking in double-double No. 30. She finished one point shy of her career high.

Reese Was Untouchable

Reese was efficient in a way that should make defenders a little queasy. She made 11 of 14 shots, including her only 3-point try, went 7-for-9 at the line, and added three offensive rebounds, three assists and two blocks while posting a plus-31 in her 25 minutes of work.

Howard's night was a strange one statistically: 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting, 1-of-9 from deep, but also seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. When your cold-shooting night still includes a league record and a stuffed stat line, that is a pretty good cold-shooting night.

Allisha Gray also had 10 points, and according to the AP that pushed her to 782 for the season, breaking her own franchise record for points in a season. Te-Hina Paopao scored 10 on 4-of-5 shooting, Madina Okot added 10 off the bench on 5-of-7, and Naz Hillmon hit three triples for nine.

Connecticut got 13 from Nelson-Ododa on 5-of-6 shooting, nine points and nine rebounds from Saniya Rivers, and nine apiece from Raegan Beers and Ashlon Jackson. Gianna Kneepkens went scoreless on five shots and finished at minus-42, and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who had buried five 3-pointers against Dallas in Connecticut's last game before the break, went 0-for-4 from deep this time.

The Turning Point: The Third Quarter Avalanche

A 10-point halftime lead turned into a 30-point lead in one quarter, and the reason was simple: Atlanta stopped giving Connecticut anything. The Sun scored 11 points in the third, while the Dream scored at the rim, from the corners and in transition. By the time Reese's 3 dropped, the crowd of 3,575 was already watching a coronation rather than a contest.

The Dream's ball security was the quiet killer. Atlanta committed just four turnovers all night, while Connecticut had 14, and the Dream turned those Sun mistakes into 18 points. The Sun got two points off Atlanta's four giveaways. It is hard to make a comeback when your opponent refuses to hand you the ball. The glass was just as lopsided. Atlanta grabbed 10 offensive rebounds to Connecticut's two and won the overall rebounding battle 42-28, so the Sun rarely got a second look at anything.

Stats That Matter

• 4: Atlanta turnovers in the entire game.
• 30 assists on 39 baskets: The Dream moved the ball like a pickup team that actually likes each other.
• 56-30: Atlanta's advantage in points in the paint.
• 3 of 20: Connecticut's 3-point shooting, good for 15 percent.
• 31-11: The third-quarter score that turned a game into a blowout.

What It Means

The playoff-bound Dream improved to 27-14, 14-7 at home, and have won two straight. They also completed a 3-0 sweep of the season series with Connecticut, winning all three meetings by double digits. Atlanta hosts Chicago on Saturday night.

Connecticut fell to 10-31, including 3-18 on the road, and has now lost four in a row. The Sun host Minnesota on Sunday.

Closing Take

Most teams use the first game after a long break to shake off rust. Atlanta used it to stage a record-setting scavenger hunt, with Reese checking off history in the paint and Howard checking it off from deep on her one make of the night. It felt like the opening scene of a heist movie, where every member of the crew gets a moment to show off before the real job begins. For the Dream, the real job starts when the playoffs do.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details as reported by the Associated Press.