Jessica Shepard is quietly chasing a 2018 WNBA rebounding record nobody is talking about
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) steals the ball from Washington Mystics center Lauren Betts (51) in the first half at CareFirst Arena.
Jessica Shepard posted 22 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in Dallas’s 96-92 road loss to the Washington Mystics on August 5. A solid line, but nothing that would stop most fans from scrolling. What that performance quietly represents, however, is another data point in one of the most underreported statistical stories of the 2026 WNBA season.
The 1.93m forward is averaging 14.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game across 31 games this season — all career highs for the Notre Dame product, drafted in the second round (16th pick) by Minnesota back in 2019. Her previous career averages were 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The leap is staggering.
Washington Mystics 96 - 92 Dallas Wings · WNBA · 05/08/2026
| Game | PTS | REB | AST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Mystics | Rori Harmon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kiki Iriafen | 11 | 6 | 3 | |
| Lucy Olsen | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Shakira Austin | 27 | 13 | 2 | |
| Sonia Citron | 12 | 2 | 3 | |
| Georgia Amoore | 12 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lauren Betts | 6 | 7 | 1 | |
| Alicia Florez | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Cassandre Prosper | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Angela Dugalic | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cotie McMahon | 18 | 3 | 3 | |
| Darianna Littlepage-Buggs | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michaela Onyenwere | 10 | 2 | 1 | |
| Dallas Wings | Alanna Smith | 21 | 11 | 1 |
| Costanza Verona | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jessica Shepard | 22 | 11 | 7 | |
| Azzi Fudd | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| Paige Bueckers | 17 | 5 | 4 | |
| Yueru Li | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Awak Kuier | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aziaha James | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Haley Jones | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maddy Siegrist | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arike Ogunbowale | 15 | 3 | 5 | |
| Odyssey Sims | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Alysha Clark | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sug Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A chase worth watching, with nothing guaranteed
To be clear: this is about rebounding average per game, not total rebounds. Angel Reese holds the all-time WNBA record in that category with 13.12 per game (446 total in 34 games) set with the Chicago Sky in 2024 — she also owns the second-best mark at 12.6 in 2025. The record for total rebounds in a single season belongs to a separate category entirely and should not be confused with what Shepard is chasing.
What Shepard is targeting is the second-best rebounding average in WNBA history: Sylvia Fowles’ 11.88 per game with the Minnesota Lynx in 2018 (404 rebounds in 34 games). At 11.7 per game through 31 games, Shepard sits just 0.18 rebounds behind that mark. The gap is razor-thin — and the season is not over.
- Position : Power Forward
- Height : 191 cm
- Age : 29 y/o
- Nationality : United States
Stats 2026-2027 / WNBA
| PTS | 14.9 | #32 |
|---|---|---|
| REB | 11.7 | #2 |
| AST | 5.5 | #12 |
That last part matters. Shepard must sustain at least 11.88 rebounds per game over the remaining games to surpass Fowles. One cold stretch, a minor injury, a few foul-plagued nights — any of those could end the chase before it gets there. This is a race in progress, not a fait accompli.
The quiet engine behind Dallas’s playoff push
What makes this even more remarkable is the context in which Shepard is producing. She is not the offensive centerpiece of the Dallas Wings. Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale carry the bulk of the scoring load. Shepard’s role is different — she dominates the glass in a way that quietly shapes every possession, and it is a major reason Dallas sits at 19-12 and in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2023.
Her season also includes a historic individual moment: on May 29, she recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists — one of the rarest stat lines in league history. Earlier in the season, she added another triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists against the Chicago Sky), which the Wings’ official channels noted as the third triple-double in franchise history.
ESPN has covered Shepard’s breakout season, but no major outlet has specifically framed it around this rebounding record chase. At 11.7 per game with games still to play, Shepard is 0.18 rebounds away from etching her name into the second slot of WNBA history — right behind Reese, ahead of Fowles. Whether she gets there is still an open question. But it is absolutely one worth paying attention to.
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