Angel Reese has been must-watch TV all season in Atlanta, but Saturday night was on another level. She came out attacking from the jump, jumping passing lanes and finishing through contact against Phoenix.
Angel Reese intercepts the pass, then finishes the transition layup through the contact for the and-1 💪 Catch the WNBA's leading rebounder in action as the Dream take on the Mercury on WNBA League Pass. https://t.co/U3cluv82Uh
It wasn't just buckets, either. Reese was setting up teammates too, flashing the kind of passing chops that make her more than just a bruiser in the paint. By halftime she already had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals to go with a highlight dime.
Angel Reese with the no-look dime to Allisha Gray for the bucket 😮💨 She finishes the 1H with 10 PTS, 5 REB, & 2 STL! The Dream lead the Mercury at halftime on WNBA League Pass. https://t.co/NS9xA4N7eK
The night kept building from there. By the fourth quarter Reese had a team-high 24 points, a game-high 13 rebounds and 4 steals, and Atlanta needed every bit of it in a tight one against a Phoenix team that leaned on Kahleah Copper's own scoring flurry.
Angel Reese gets to the rim for the layup 😤 She has a team-high 24 PTS to go along with a game-high 13 REB & 4 STL! The Dream lead the Mercury in a close one on WNBA League Pass. https://t.co/7bSFYzkvZR
When the final buzzer sounded, Atlanta had a 99-89 win, and Reese had a new career high: 31 points on an efficient 14-of-21 shooting, to go with 14 rebounds and 4 steals. Her previous career best was 27 points, set back in 2024 during her rookie season with Chicago. This is her first year in a Dream uniform after being traded from the Sky.
The double-double was her 26th of the season, which ties her into rarefied company — the second-most in a single WNBA season in league history, behind only Alyssa Thomas's 28 in 2023. She also became just the 5th player in Dream franchise history to log a 30-point double-double, a stat NBA's own account flagged postgame.
The bigger picture matters just as much as the box score. Atlanta needed a win over Phoenix to lock up a playoff spot, and getting it done behind their best player's best game of the year is about as good a way as any to close out the story. The Dream improved to 24-13, moving into first place in the Eastern Conference, with role players like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray chipping in around Reese's monster stat line. First playoff berth of Reese's career, and it came with a signature performance to match.