Angel Reese led the Atlanta Dream to a blowout win against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, but all eyes were on Rhyne Howard as she achieved another historic career milestone. Howard, a veteran guard for the Dream, made a single three-pointer on the night, but that one shot put her in the WNBA history books for the 2026 season, as she crossed New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu for the most three-pointers made in a single season.
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Ionescu held the record with 128 scored in 36 games in 2023, her third year in the league. Howard shot her only successful three with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter, crossing Ionescu’s record in just 40 games. And this did not go unnoticed, as the WNBA posted her achievement on Instagram.
The caption read, “MAKING HISTORY FROM DEEP.”
In the game against the Sun, Howard made a 24-foot three-point jumper off an assist from Madina Okot. Her record came in the final stretch of the game as the Dream extended their record to 27-14, as they defended the fourth spot on the WNBA leaderboard. And that was not all, as Howard’s team did not miss the opportunity to highlight her achievement either. The Atlanta Dream posted the record-shattering stat on their Instagram feed, with a congratulatory caption.
“YOUR 3PT QUEEN HAS ARRIVED,” they wrote.
Even fellow Dream player Angel Reese liked the Atlanta Dream post. The Bayou Barbie went one step further and put up the post on her Instagram Story in support of Howard.
In addition, espnW also posted a story celebrating Rhyne Howard as etching her name at the top of the list.
Their caption read, “RHYNE HOWARD JUST REWROTE THE 3-POINT RECORD BOOK”
She now sits above players like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Arike Ogunbowale, as well as Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi. And in some exciting news for Atlanta Dream fans, this was not the only record set that night.
Angel Reese further extended her double-double record to 30 games, as she scored a game-high 30 points, coupled with 10 rebounds. She sits atop the list of most single-season double-doubles, beating out Alyssa Thomas’ 2023 record of 28.
It was a great night for the Atlanta Dream, as they blew past the Sun in a 103-59 performance at Gateway Center. While Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored a team-high of 13 points, with Raegen Beers and Saniya Rivers adding another nine points each for the Sun, it was nowhere close to the offensive masterclass by the Dream. The team shot 51% from the field, making 39-of-76 field goals. While Reese led the scoring, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray added 10 points and six rebounds each.
After the game, Howard was asked how she felt about her performance in the post-game presser, and she had a confident answer for the media.
“I’m breaking a three-point record every year, so I expect nothing less of that. But obviously, I like to shoot. Shooters are going to shoot. So, I’m going to keep doing that. It’s going to be plenty more records, three-point records with my name on it as long as I’m in the league, I believe.”
The bench contributed significantly, with Te-Hina Paopao and Madina Okot adding 10 points each. This win extends the Atlanta Dream’s record to 27-14, as they look to retain the home-court advantage going into the playoffs.
This performance from Howard and Reese comes after they returned to Atlanta after the 2026 FIBA World Cup. Rhyne Howard led the team in steals, with 2.3 per game, while Angel Reese topped the chart for blocks per game, with 0.8. Team USA cruised to the gold medal with a 6-0 record, led by Breanna Stewart, who led the team in efficiency, points scored, and rebounds. This win marks the fifth consecutive year that the USA has won the FIBA World Cup. But now Howard and Reese’s focus will be on leading the Atlanta Dream to its first-ever championship.