Angel Reese shares postgame moment
Angel Reese and Brittney Griner shared a postgame moment after the Atlanta Dream defeated the Connecticut Sun 103-59 on September 17, 2026, at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, following the World Cup break.
Griner approached Reese during the celebration, hugged the Atlanta forward, handed her a marker, and asked Reese to sign the shoes she was wearing. Reese completed the request as both players stood near the court.
Angel Reese delivers 30-point return
Reese led Atlanta with 30 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in less than 25 minutes. She made 11 of 14 field-goal attempts as the Dream controlled the second half against Connecticut.
The 30-point performance finished one point below Reese’s career high of 31. Her efficient scoring produced another double-double as Atlanta returned to WNBA action following the league’s scheduled World Cup break.
Angel Reese makes WNBA history
Reese became the first WNBA player to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing 25 minutes or fewer. The achievement added another league record to her first season with Atlanta.
She reached 30 points on a free throw with 5:38 remaining, then collected her 10th rebound moments later. Atlanta already held a large lead, allowing Reese to complete the historic line without heavy minutes.
Angel Reese extends double-double record
The game produced Reese’s 30th double-double of the 2026 season, extending her WNBA single-season record. She set the mark with her 29th during Atlanta’s August 30 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
Reese entered September holding WNBA records for rebounds in one game, total rebounds in a season, offensive rebounds in a season, and double-doubles in a campaign during her third professional WNBA season.
Angel Reese returns from World Cup win
Reese returned to Atlanta four days after helping the United States win the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. The American team defeated France in the championship game on September 13.
Across six World Cup appearances, Reese averaged 7.2 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes per game. She finished the tournament with 43 points, 30 rebounds, seven steals, five blocks, and four assists.
Angel Reese signs Griner’s shoes
Griner approached Reese after sitting out Connecticut’s September 17 game because of a left knee injury. The matchup was Connecticut’s final 2026 meeting with Atlanta and ended with a 103-59 Dream victory.
After the game, Griner hugged Reese, handed her a marker, and asked the Atlanta forward to autograph the shoes she was wearing. Reese signed them as the two players interacted near the court.
Angel Reese meets a decorated veteran
Griner joined Connecticut in April 2026 with two WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and 10 All-Star selections. The Sun signed the veteran center to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.
The 6-foot-9 center began 2026 with 859 career blocks after 11 seasons with Phoenix and one year in Atlanta. In June, Griner reached 878 blocks and became the WNBA’s career leader.
Angel Reese joined Atlanta in April
The exchange connected two WNBA stars who changed teams during the 2026 offseason. Atlanta acquired Reese from Chicago on April 6, while Connecticut announced Griner’s new one-year contract five days later on April 11.
Atlanta sent its 2027 and 2028 first-round draft picks to Chicago for Reese while receiving the right to swap second-round selections in 2028. The move followed Reese’s first two WNBA seasons with Chicago.
Angel Reese adds more 2026 records
Reese arrived in Atlanta after earning two WNBA All-Star selections with Chicago. Her first Dream season produced league rebounding records and consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors during late August and early September.
For her second consecutive award, Reese averaged 14.4 points, 17.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals while Atlanta went 2-1. She also grabbed a WNBA record 26 rebounds against Los Angeles during that week.
Angel Reese leads Dream’s 44-point win
Atlanta returned from the WNBA’s World Cup break on September 17 and defeated Connecticut 103-59. The Dream improved to 27-14 with the victory, while the Sun fell to 10-31 that night.
Atlanta led 45-35 at halftime before outscoring Connecticut 31-11 in the third quarter and 27-13 in the fourth. The Dream finished with a 44-point home victory at Gateway Center Arena that night.
Fun fact: Angel Reese now has her own Barbie doll, a fitting twist for a player once nicknamed “Bayou Barbie” during her LSU years.
Angel Reese shares record night with Howard
Rhyne Howard set the WNBA single-season record for 3-pointers during Atlanta’s victory by making her 129th of 2026. The basket moved Howard past Sabrina Ionescu’s previous record from the 2023 season.
Howard finished with 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals. She made the record-setting 3-pointer with 6:45 remaining as Atlanta completed a night featuring several individual milestones for the team.
Angel Reese gets balanced team support
Allisha Gray also reached an Atlanta milestone during the 103-59 victory. She broke her own Dream single-season scoring record when she scored her 774th point of 2026 on a first-quarter layup.
Gray, Rhyne Howard, Te-Hina Paopao, and Madina Okot each finished with 10 points against Connecticut. Naz Hillmon added nine as Atlanta received scoring contributions throughout the lineup behind Reese’s 30 points.
“Focus on who is here,” Angel Reese responds to A’ja Wilson’s Team USA absence, emphasizing attention on the players available rather than those missing from the roster.
Angel Reese moment closes milestone night
Atlanta held Connecticut to 59 points, its lowest scoring total of the 2026 season. Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Sun with 13 points, while Saniya Rivers added nine points and nine rebounds.
Reese’s postgame exchange with Griner followed a performance that included 30 points, 10 rebounds, and another league record. Griner’s autograph request added a documented moment between the veteran center and Atlanta forward.
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Angel Reese’s postgame exchange with Brittney Griner followed a record-setting night for Atlanta. Do moments like this between veterans and younger stars make sports more memorable beyond the final score? share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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