Reese’s latest honor sparks debate among WNBA fans
Angel Reese is making headlines again after another impressive stretch with the Atlanta Dream, but her latest Player of the Week honor has sparked plenty of discussion among WNBA fans.
While her numbers tell one story, the reaction around the league adds another layer to the debate. What is behind the conversation, and why are some fans bringing Caitlin Clark into it?
A second straight weekly award
The latest honor is Reese’s fourth Player of the Week award in her three-year WNBA career. It is also her second weekly award since joining Atlanta, following the first honor she received on August 25.
Reese became the fourth Dream player to win the award in consecutive weeks. Rhyne Howard is the other Atlanta player to receive the conference honor during 2026.
Atlanta went 2-1 during the week
The Dream finished the award period with two wins and one loss. Atlanta defeated the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx while falling to the Portland Fire, with Reese producing double-doubles in all three games.
The Sparks victory produced Atlanta’s first 4-0 road trip in franchise history. The win over Minnesota also came against the WNBA’s leading team.
The record-breaking night in Los Angeles
Reese made WNBA history against the Sparks on August 24 by collecting 26 rebounds. She finished with 11 points and three assists, while Atlanta won 78-71 and completed its first 4-0 road trip.
Her 26 rebounds surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw’s previous single-game mark of 24. Reese also recorded her 27th double-double of the season during the victory.
Reese also broke the season rebounding mark
During the Los Angeles game, Reese moved past A’ja Wilson’s previous WNBA single-season record of 451 rebounds. She finished that contest with 458 total rebounds for the season, adding another league record.
Wilson set the previous record during the 2024 season. Reese’s mark came with six regular-season games remaining on Atlanta’s schedule, leaving opportunities to increase the total.
Another double-double followed in Portland
Reese recorded 16 points and 16 rebounds against the Portland Fire on August 28. She also added six assists and two steals, but Atlanta lost 101-83 during the award period.
The performance was her 28th double-double of the season. Atlanta entered the final game needing a victory to finish the stretch with a winning record.
The week ended against Minnesota
Reese closed the award period with 15 points and 11 rebounds against the Minnesota Lynx on August 30. Atlanta won 89-81, and her double-double became the 29th of her season, establishing a new WNBA record.
She also recorded two assists, two steals and one block in 33 minutes. The victory gave Atlanta a 2-1 record for the award period before the break.
The honor followed another weekly award
Reese previously won Eastern Conference Player of the Week on August 25 after leading Atlanta to three victories. During that week, she averaged 24.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 steals while shooting 67.4%.
She recorded a double-double in each game. The stretch included a perfect 9-for-9 shooting performance against Los Angeles on August 20.
Fans compared Reese with Clark
The latest award sparked online debate, with some fans arguing that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark should have received the honor. Clark posted 37 points and 10 assists against Chicago on August 23, then followed with 34 points and 12 assists against Connecticut on August 28.
The Chicago performance came one day before the Aug. 24–30 award period, while the Connecticut game fell within the award period. Reports documented fans comparing Clark’s scoring and playmaking with Reese’s rebounding production.
Clark’s numbers fueled the discussion
Clark’s two performances came on consecutive games around the award period and included at least 30 points and 10 assists in each. The WNBA selected Reese, whose three-game production featured a league-record 26 rebounds and a record-setting 29th double-double.
Clark scored 37 points against Chicago on August 23 and 34 against Connecticut on August 28. She recorded 10 and 12 assists, respectively, in those games.
Interesting fact: The WNBA is celebrating its 30th season in 2026. The league tipped off in 1997 with eight teams, following the U.S. women’s basketball team’s gold-medal run at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The award reflects a historic season
Reese has established several WNBA records during her first season with Atlanta. Those marks include single-game rebounds, single-season rebounds, single-season offensive rebounds and single-season double-doubles.
Before joining Atlanta, Reese set the league’s rookie record for rebounds per game in 2024. She also led the WNBA in rebounds per game in 2025, according to her official profile.
Interesting fact: WNBA players entered a new financial era in 2026. The new collective bargaining agreement introduced revenue sharing, with maximum salaries reaching $1.4 million for the 2026 season and the average salary projected to top $1 million later in the agreement.
Atlanta enters the break at 26-14
The Dream finished the current regular-season stretch with a 26-14 record and a 7-3 mark over their last 10 games. Atlanta is fourth in the WNBA standings, tied with Indiana, as the league pauses for the World Cup.
The standings place Atlanta behind Minnesota, Golden State and Las Vegas. The Dream have already secured a playoff berth, while postseason seeding remains at stake.
The internet is also talking about Caitlin Clark being left out of NCAA March Madness post featuring WNBA stars.
Reese now turns to international play
Reese is set to represent the United States at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. The tournament runs from September 4 through September 13, and Atlanta is scheduled to resume play September 17 against Connecticut.
Reese is one of 12 players on the U.S. roster. She will join Dream teammate Rhyne Howard, who was also selected for the American team.
In other news, Caitlin Clark surges to No. 2 in ESPN’s latest WNBA player ranking.
Like this slideshow if you’re following Reese’s 2026 run, and comment: Did she deserve the honor?
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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