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Angel Reese just keeps one-upping herself: Two days after a night of perfect field goal shooting, Reese dropped a career-high 31 points to lead the Atlanta Dream over the Phoenix Mercury on the road.
Though Atlanta got off to an early lead, going up by as many as 15 points, the Mercury powered back in the third quarter to get back within one point. But Reese turned up the heat in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of her total points in the final frame to secure a 99-89 victory.
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Reese’s previous career high was 27 points, a number she hit in July of her rookie season while with the Chicago Sky. This is Reese’s first time breaking 30 points in a single game in the WNBA; she also pitched in 14 rebounds in Saturday’s win.
With the win, Atlanta also became the fifth team to clinch a WNBA playoff berth. Though the middle of the league table is tight, Dream currently sit fourth in the standings with a 24-13 record and a game in hand.
The Dream’s victory came despite a big night from two of Phoenix’s stars. Kahleah Copper scored 38 points after getting hot in the third quarter, a number that falls just three short of her WNBA career-high.
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Alyssa Thomas, meanwhile, dropped a triple-double — the 22nd of her career, a stat in which she completely dominates. She also scored her 5000th point during the game, joining just a handful of people to hit the mark in league history.
The Mercury, who currently sit 12th in the standings, are among the five WNBA teams who have already been eliminated from the postseason.
The Dream, and Reese, have been on a bit of a tear lately: On Thursday, Atlanta set a franchise record for points in a game with a 124-88 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, thanks in part to Reese’s perfect nine-for-nine shooting on field goals.
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Now, the Dream get to officially take their success into the playoffs. Atlanta will try to set itself up in a favorable position in order to break a three-years streak of first-round postseason losses.
