Rhyne Howard had missed all eight of her three-point attempts when Madina Okot passed to her on the right wing with 6:45 left. Atlanta was 36 points ahead. Most of the crowd’s remaining interest rested on Howard’s next shot. She made it.
It was Howard’s 129th three-pointer of the season, moving her past the 128 Sabrina Ionescu made for New York in 2023. Howard now had the highest single-season total in WNBA history.
Her final line was far less straightforward than the celebration: 10 points on 3-of-18 shooting, including 1-of-9 from outside. She also finished with eight assists, six rebounds, four steals, one block and one turnover. Atlanta beat Connecticut 103-59, its widest winning margin as a franchise.
Angel Reese supplied the scoring with 30 points. Howard’s shot deserted her, so she passed, defended and kept the ball moving.
Howard Found Other Ways Into the Game
Atlanta never had to wait for Howard to rediscover her shot. Reese scored around the basket, Naz Hillmon made three shots from deep, and Allisha Gray attacked off the dribble. Te-Hina Paopao and Okot added 10 points each from the bench. By the end of a 31-point third quarter, Atlanta had broken the game open without a made three from Howard.
Howard did not respond to her misses by chasing the record on every trip. The eight assists were a game high. Seven led directly to baskets and produced 17 points, according to the play-by-play. She found Reese around the rim and created outside shots for Hillmon, Reese and Paopao.
Connecticut still followed Howard beyond the arc. Leaving a player with 128 made threes because she had missed a few that night was never a serious option. Howard saw the extra attention and usually moved the ball early.
Head coach Karl Smesko had noticed that part of her game earlier in the season.
Rhy is locked in. This has been a different approach for Rhy from the very beginning of the year. -Karl Smesko
Howard’s four steals gave Atlanta chances to run, and several rebounds allowed her to bring the ball up herself. She committed one turnover while leading both teams in assists.
Her shooting was poor. A few attempts were hurried or came from difficult positions. Those shots could hurt Atlanta in a closer game. On Wednesday, Howard still found enough work to do elsewhere.
Howard’s record belongs to the full season. Against Connecticut, her eight assists told more of the story.
Reese Gave Atlanta Somewhere Else to Go
Reese made 11 of 14 shots, scored 30 points in 25 minutes and collected 10 rebounds. Three came at the offensive end. It was her 30th double-double of the season, extending the WNBA record she had already set.
Much of her work was direct. She ran ahead of the defence, established position early and finished passes in traffic. Howard repeatedly found her before Connecticut could load the paint. When help arrived, Atlanta could move the ball back towards the perimeter.
Howard draws defenders farther from the basket than they want to travel. Reese works in the space behind them. Staying close to the rim risks giving Howard room to shoot; sending another defender towards her gives Reese a chance to catch the ball while the defence is moving.
Reese had described Howard’s effect in much simpler terms earlier in the season. She says;
She makes life easier. -Reese
In the same interview, Reese spoke about Howard’s three-level scoring, defensive intensity and influence on Atlanta’s standards.
Reese gave Atlanta somewhere productive to send the ball while Howard struggled. Her rebounding made some misses less costly as well. Connecticut kept guarding Howard through a 1-for-9 night because the alternative was leaving the league’s most prolific three-point shooter alone.
Connecticut had no answer. The playoff version will be harder: sharper rotations, more size around Reese and fewer clean catches before the defence settles.
The Margin Was Not the Most Useful Number
The Sun entered the game at 10-30. Atlanta was supposed to win, and one dominant performance against a struggling opponent does not answer every playoff question.
Some of the numbers are worth keeping, though. Atlanta shot 51.3% overall while going 9-of-30 from three. The Dream assisted on 28 of their 39 field goals and turned the ball over four times. They won the rebounding battle 42-28 and never trailed. Connecticut committed 14 turnovers and made three three-pointers.
Atlanta found 76 points inside the arc or at the free-throw line. That helps explain the 44-point margin in the game statistics, even with Howard’s first three delayed until the fourth quarter.
Minnesota, Indiana or New York would put up more resistance at the point of attack and make Reese fight for her catches. Some of Howard’s pull-ups would suit those defences just fine. Atlanta could afford them with a huge lead over Connecticut. It may not have that margin again.
Atlanta must also finish the season without Brionna Jones. She suffered a left-leg injury on August 13 and will miss the remainder of the campaign. Jones appeared in nine games after knee surgery delayed the start of her season. Without her experience and interior scoring, Reese, Hillmon and the rookie Okot carry more of the frontcourt load.
Five Atlanta players reached double figures while Howard missed 15 of 18 shots. The offence carried on around her. Connecticut’s resistance was weak, especially after halftime, but previous Atlanta teams might still have allowed such a night to become a shooting contest for their star guard.
Those passing lanes will shrink in a close playoff game. The second defender will arrive earlier, and Reese may have only a moment to receive the ball. Howard’s reads will have to come just as quickly. There will also be possessions when another three is precisely what the defence wants from her.
Howard kept shooting long enough to reach 129. Against Connecticut, she also knew how to stay in the game during the eight misses that came first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Rhyne Howard break against Connecticut?
Howard made her 129th three-pointer of the 2026 regular season, passing Sabrina Ionescu’s previous WNBA record of 128. The record-setting shot came with 6:45 left in Atlanta’s September 17 win over the Sun.
How many games did Howard need to reach 129 three-pointers?
She reached 129 three-pointers in her 40th appearance of the season.
What were Howard’s statistics against the Sun?
Howard had 10 points, six rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and one block in 28 minutes. She shot 3-of-18 overall and 1-of-9 from three, with one turnover.
How did Angel Reese perform?
Reese scored 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. She also recorded four assists and made seven of nine free throws. It was her 30th double-double of the season, and she finished one point short of her career high.
Why did Howard still matter when her shots were not falling?
Connecticut continued guarding Howard well beyond the arc. She finished with a game-high eight assists and four steals despite making one three-pointer.
What could cause problems for Atlanta in the playoffs?
Howard took several difficult pull-ups against Connecticut, and stronger opponents will happily concede those shots. Reese will also face more resistance near the basket. Brionna Jones’ season-ending injury leaves Atlanta with fewer experienced frontcourt options if Reese runs into foul trouble or a difficult matchup.
