USS Reno, second of the four 6,000-ton Oakland class light cruisers, was built at San Francisco, California. She was commissioned in December 1943, shook down off the U.S. West Coast, and deployed to the Pacific war zone in April 1944. Reno entered combat as an escort for Task Force 58 aircraft carriers raiding Marcus and Wake Islands in May. During June, July and August she participated in the operation to seize Saipan, in the resulting Battle of the Philippine Sea, the invasion of Guam and in carrier raids on other Japanese-held central Pacific islands.

In September and October 1944, as the U.S. offensive against Japan moved into the western Pacific, Reno screened the carriers as they struck targets in the Philippines, the Palaus, the Ryukyus and Formosa. On 24 October, the first day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, she assisted in efforts to save the bombed and burning USS Princeton, and suffered some topside damage in the attempt. When it was determined that the carrier could not be saved, Reno was ordered to scuttle her with torpedoes. On the following day she took part in the Leyte Gulf's final engagement, the Battle of Cape Enga?o.

On 3 November 1944, during continuing operations off the Philippines, Reno was torpedoed on the port side, just aft of amidships, by the Japanese submarine I-41. She was very badly damaged, with essentially no remaining stability, and only great exertions by her crew and calm seas prevented her loss. Once salvage efforts had stabilized her condition, Reno was towed to the advanced fleet base at Ulithi. After temporary repairs, she was able to steam to the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, for a complete renewal. This work was completed soon after the Second World War's end, and Reno then made two round trip voyages to France as part of "Magic Carpet", the operation to bring home American service personnel from the former war zones. She returned to the Pacific in early 1946 and was decommissioned at Bremerton, Washington, in November of that year. USS Reno was reclassified CLAA-96 in March 1949 but remained in the Pacific Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in March 1959. She was sold for scrapping in March 1962.