ATLANTA, GA — August 28, 2026 — The Atlanta Dream has made history. Stars Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese were named to the 12-player USA Basketball Women's National Team roster on August 6, becoming the first pair of Dream players in franchise history to simultaneously represent the United States at a 5-on-5 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup or Olympic Games. For Black Atlanteans who have watched both players rise from promising prospects to international stars, the announcement was a moment of pure pride.

The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is set to bring together the world's best national teams in one of international basketball's most prestigious competitions — and now Atlanta will be represented on the biggest stage the sport has to offer.

Rhyne Howard: The Quiet Excellence of a Star in Full Bloom

Rhyne Howard arrived in Atlanta as the first overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and from the moment she stepped on the court as a Dream player, she has been a revelation. Her combination of offensive versatility, defensive intensity, and basketball intelligence has made her one of the most complete players in the WNBA — and one of the franchise's most beloved figures.

Howard's USA Basketball selection is the culmination of years of elite play, recognition, and an unwavering commitment to excellence that has made her a model for young Black girls and women in Atlanta who dream of reaching the sport's highest levels. Her ability to lead, compete, and inspire on and off the court has made her far more than an athlete — she is a community figure in Black Atlanta.

Angel Reese: The Force That Changed the Game

If Howard represents quiet excellence, Angel Reese represents unapologetic power. Since joining the WNBA and making her mark as one of the league's most physically dominant and fiercely competitive players, Reese has become a cultural phenomenon — redefining what it means to be a Black woman athlete in the modern era.

Reese's selection to the national team is a statement about the WNBA's growing stature and the increasing recognition that American women's basketball is producing a generation of talent unlike anything seen before. Her on-court brilliance, her business acumen off the court, and her unapologetic embrace of her own identity have made her a hero to a generation of young Black women who see themselves in her.

A Franchise Moment for the Atlanta Dream

The Atlanta Dream has a storied history in the WNBA, but this dual national team selection represents something new for the franchise — a recognition that Atlanta has assembled one of the most talented and exciting collections of players in the league. The fact that both Howard and Reese will represent the USA simultaneously speaks to the Dream's status as a destination franchise for elite talent.

For the city of Atlanta, a metropolis that has long used sports as a vehicle for civic pride and community identity, the Howard-Reese selection carries special significance. The Dream have always had a passionate Black fanbase, and this moment is one that the community will celebrate for years to come.

Black Women Athletes Leading the Way

The selection of Howard and Reese is also part of a broader story about the dominance of Black women in American sports. From the WNBA to track and field, from gymnastics to tennis, Black women athletes are at the top of their sports — delivering excellence, breaking records, and doing so while carrying the additional weight of navigating a society that has not always made space for them at the center of the sporting narrative.

Their success is a rebuke to every system that tried to hold them back. It is a validation of every coach who believed in them, every parent who drove them to practice, every young girl who watched them play and dared to dream of doing the same.

What This Means for Black Atlanta

Atlanta has always been a city that produces champions — in business, in culture, in politics, in music, and in sport. The selection of Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese to the USA Basketball Women's National Team adds two more names to that illustrious roster, and it does so in a way that speaks directly to the Black community that has supported the Dream from its earliest days.

Watch the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and cheer them on. They are playing for Atlanta, for Black America, and for every girl who has ever been told she dreams too big.

Rhyne Howard. Angel Reese. Atlanta Dream. USA Basketball. History. These words belong together — and Black Atlanta is here for every moment of it.