Angel Reese Scores Career-High 31 Points as Atlanta Dream Secure Playoff Spot

The Atlanta Dream secured a place in the WNBA postseason on Saturday evening following a 99-89 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, led by forward Angel Reese’s career-high 31-point performance. Reese also grabbed 14 rebounds to log her 25th double-double of the current regular season.

The result pushed Atlanta to a 24-13 record with seven games remaining on their regular-season schedule. The Dream, who have won five of their last six games, moved a half-game ahead of the Indiana Fever into fourth place in the standings following Indiana’s loss earlier in the night.

Reese finished 14-of-21 from the field, building on a performance in her previous game where she went 9-for-9. Her previous scoring peak was 27 points, set during her 2024 rookie season while playing for the Chicago Sky. Her performance on Saturday established a new single-season record for double-doubles for the Atlanta franchise, leaving her three away from the league’s all-time single-season record.

Discussing her performance near the basket, Reese emphasized the strategy of “just staying poised and not letting anybody speed me up,” adding that she anticipated defensive traps against Atlanta’s guards. Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko commended her offensive evolution after the game, stating, “I think she keeps getting better and keeps being able to expand her game.”

Atlanta established an early command, racing to a 14-3 lead in under four minutes as Rhyne Howard made four early 3-pointers. The Dream held a 29-18 lead at the end of the first quarter and went into halftime leading 50-35. Howard completed the night with 20 points, while teammates Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada added 17 points and 12 points, respectively.

Phoenix mounted a comeback during the third quarter, driven by Kahleah Copper, who scored 17 of her game-high 38 points in the period. The Mercury shot 13-of-22 from the floor during the third quarter after shooting 10-of-29 in the first half, cutting Atlanta’s lead down to one point before the Dream recovered to take a 73-68 advantage into the fourth quarter. Alyssa Thomas recorded 11 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists for Phoenix—her 22nd career regular-season triple-double—while DeWanna Bonner added 12 points.

The loss dropped Phoenix to a 13-24 record and officially eliminated them from postseason contention. The Mercury became the first team to fail to reach the playoffs the season immediately following an appearance in the WNBA Finals since Phoenix last suffered the same fate in 2008.

Background

Angel Reese entered the WNBA in 2024 as a rookie with the Chicago Sky before joining the Atlanta Dream. The WNBA regular season determines playoff eligibility and seeding, with teams competing for top spots ahead of the postseason tournament. Phoenix reached the WNBA Finals in the prior season before failing to qualify for the postseason this year.