Angel Reese made a triumphant return to Chicago, carving out a notable victory and etching her name into the WNBA record books.
Reese delivered an impressive performance with 17 points and 17 rebounds, leading the Atlanta Dream to an 82-75 victory against the Chicago Sky in what was her first regular-season confrontation with her former team.
This achievement marked Reese’s 57th double-double in her WNBA tenure, setting a new record for the most double-doubles achieved within the first 75 games of a player’s career, as highlighted by ESPNW.
Her record-setting game came against the very team that selected her as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft, before trading her to Atlanta earlier this year.
On April 6, the Sky announced Reese’s trade to the Dream in exchange for first-round draft selections in 2027 and 2028, along with an exchange of second-round picks in 2028.
Reese did not need long to make her presence felt back in Chicago.
She controlled the glass throughout the night and added four assists and two steals as Atlanta improved to 8-3.
The achievement also placed Reese in rare company beyond the WNBA.
According to ESPNW, across the last 40 seasons in the NBA and WNBA, only Shaquille O’Neal had more double-doubles than Reese through his first 75 games.
Reese’s 57 tied Blake Griffin for second-most over that span.
The comparison underlined just how quickly Reese has established herself as one of basketball’s most consistent rebounders.
Chicago led by three at halftime and still held a one-point advantage entering the fourth quarter, but Atlanta closed stronger.
The Dream outscored the Sky 25-17 in the final period to pull away, with Reese’s rebounding helping Atlanta generate the extra possessions it needed late.
Rhyne Howard also scored 17 points for the Dream, while Naz Hillmon added 16. Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada each scored 14.
But the night centered on Reese, who began her career in Chicago and returned with another reminder of the production that has defined her early WNBA career.
Reese has made double-doubles look routine since entering the league, but this one carried extra weight.
It came on the road, against the team that moved on from her, and pushed her to the top of the WNBA record book through 75 career games.
The Dream left Chicago with another win. Reese left with history.