Angel Reese powered the Atlanta Dream straight to this year’s WNBA playoffs after having a career night against the Phoenix Mercury on August 22. Reese’s headline-making performance came just two days after the LSU alum had a perfect game against the Los Angeles Sparks, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Reese had a career night against the Phoenix Mercury, posting 31 points in a 99-89 win. Reese’s previous career high was 27 points in 2024 as a rookie with the Chicago Sky.
The 24-year-old spoke with the media about making little improvements to her game, and she said it comes down to her remaining focused on what she does well.
“Just staying poised and not letting anybody speed me up,” she said. “I think I’m at my best when I’m around the basket, so just staying confident in the shots I know I can make around the basket, the shots that I work on in practice. Just taking my time and finishing those. I knew they were going to step up and trap or hedge our guards, so I knew I was going to be open down low. I just had to finish.”
Atlanta Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko Is Proud Of Angel Reese
Last night was Reese’s second statement-making game this week. Earlier, the Dream forward scored 20 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, going 100% from the field.
The Dream’s head coach, Karl Smesko, said he’s also noticed the improvements that Reese has made, saying she’s only “getting better” and praises her for “being able to expand her game.”
Reese, a known walking double-double, is known for her impressive rebounding and ability to get second-chance points. Smesko said he’s noticed that’s when Reese excels. “She was able to get behind on some ball screens for some layups where our guards were able to find her, got a couple of putbacks,” he said. “She was scoring in a multitude of ways, had a really great fourth quarter for us, and it’s good to see her have one of her best games of her career, offensively.”
Angel Reese Is Excited To Be In The Playoffs
With last night’s win against the Mercury, the Dream clinched a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. It will be Reese’s first playoff appearance, the the Dream star said she’s ready for the moment.
“It feels good to finally get here,” she said. “I want more than the playoffs. I want to walk away a champ and that’s why I came to Atlanta.”
The Dream are fighting to be one of the top four seeds, considering their position would grant them home-court advantage. Currently, the Dream are sitting fourth in the league, 11/2 games behind second-place Golden State, one-half game behind third-place Las Vegas, and 3 games ahead of eighth-place Dallas.
“You don’t want to peak too early and we are right where we want to be right now,” Reese said.
Reese ‘Didn’t Sleep’ After Recent Loss
Before her streak of stellar performances, Reese was dealt a soul-crushing loss when she missed the game-winning layup against the Indiana Fever on August 16. She acknowledged her mistake ahead of the last Thursday’s game and said she was letting the moment fuel her for the rest of the season.
“Yeah, I knew how much my team needed me. Like I said last game, it was very tough for me. I didn’t sleep, and the competitor in me wanted to win that game so bad, I replayed that play so many times, but I’m like, why would I let one moment dictate everything else that I have going on that is positive,” she said.
Reese Knows How To Snap Back Into Shape
While the loss was disappointing, Reese said it would be unlike her to let that one moment keep her down, and she showcased that during the Dream’s win against Las Vegas.
“It would have been negative for me not to come out tonight and just bounce back, and I knew they expected it from me, so just being able to do it obviously against [Aces star center A’ja Wilson], trying to deflect as many passes as I can, I mean she’s going to get her shots up of course. But just knowing my spots and how great I am defensively to put pressure on her,” she said.
