Angel Reese Celebrates Rhyne Howard’s Player of the Week Honor on Instagram

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May 28, 2026

On May 28, 2026

The Atlanta Dream have become one of the WNBA’s biggest early-season stories, and much of that momentum has come from the chemistry developing between Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard. Atlanta entered Wednesday with one of the league’s best records at 4-1, fueled by elite defensive intensity and balanced scoring throughout the roster. As the Dream prepared for a major matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA officially recognized one of Atlanta’s hottest stars for her recent performances. Reese quickly made sure fans knew exactly how she felt about the announcement.

On her Instagram story on Wednesday, Reese shared the WNBA’s announcement that Howard had been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The recognition came after Howard helped lead Atlanta to a perfect 2-0 week with victories over Dallas and Phoenix.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese handles the ball during her team's game against the <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/teams/las-vegas/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Las Vegas Aces;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-yga="{"yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yLinkText":"Las Vegas Aces","ySubModuleName":"anchor_text","yHasCommerce":false}">Las Vegas Aces</a> at State Farm Arena on May 17, 2026.Brett Davis-Imagn Images — Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese handles the ball during her team’s game against the Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena on May 17, 2026.Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Rhyne Howard Delivering Massive Start For Atlanta

Howard has looked like one of the WNBA’s most complete players early in the 2026 season.

According to the Dream, Howard averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals during the award-winning stretch while posting highly efficient 50-50-90 shooting splits.

Against the Dallas Wings on May 22, Howard exploded for 25 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals while shooting 58.3% from the field and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.

She followed that performance with another dominant outing against the Phoenix Mercury, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and six made three-pointers.

Atlanta also held both opponents under 80 points during the week, showcasing the team’s growing defensive identity.

Angel Reese Continues Praising Howard’s Leadership

Reese has consistently spoken highly of Howard’s all-around impact on Atlanta’s success.

“She can score on all levels and also on the defensive end; she brings an intensity to our team,” Reese previously said of Howard. “All-Star caliber player, MVP caliber player.”

That chemistry has become one of the biggest reasons Atlanta has emerged as an early contender in the Eastern Conference.

Reese herself has played a major role in the Dream’s strong start, averaging 12.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while helping establish Atlanta as one of the WNBA’s toughest rebounding teams.

Meanwhile, Howard’s shot creation and perimeter scoring have helped balance the offense around Reese’s interior presence.

Dream Building Momentum Early In WNBA Season

Atlanta’s 4-1 start has started drawing serious attention around the league.

The Dream have combined physical defense, transition offense and balanced scoring to become one of the WNBA’s most dangerous teams through the opening weeks of the season.

Howard’s latest Player of the Week honor marked the fourth of her career, moving her into sole possession of second place in franchise history behind only Dream legend Angel McCoughtry.

Now, with Reese publicly supporting her teammate and Atlanta continuing to stack wins, the Dream look increasingly capable of becoming a legitimate championship threat in 2026.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.