Angel Reese Scores 31 as Atlanta Dream Clinch Playoffs vs Mercury

Angel Reese scored a career-high 31 points with 14 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream defeated the Phoenix Mercury 99-89 on Saturday night to clinch a spot in the WNBA playoffs. Reese’s late free throws sealed the win and extended Atlanta’s streak to three straight victories, according to CBS Sports.

Reese hit a pair of free throws with less than a minute to play, setting a new career-high at 31 points and delivering the first 30-point game of her career, as reported by CBS Sports. Sports Yahoo and WSBTV also placed her at 31 points in the same win, with WSBTV adding that she grabbed 14 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season.

Kahleah Copper scored 38 points for the Mercury, WSBTV reported, while Atlanta received scoring from Rhyne Howard (20 points), Allisha Gray (17), and Jordin Canada (12). CBS Sports added that the Dream improved to 3-0 on a West Coast road trip segment and moved back into fourth place ahead of the Indiana Fever.

Angel Reese’s performance followed an earlier week highlight in which she produced 20 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on a perfect 9 of 9 shooting, according to CBS Sports. WSBTV said her previous career high for points was 27 in 2024 as a rookie with Chicago.

Atlanta’s coach Karl Smesko said Reese expanded her offensive opportunities by finding physical scoring chances in short situations, as reported by Bleacher Report via ESPN.com.

Reese also drew attention for efficiency trends around the basket; CBS Sports reported she shot 52.5% in the restricted area on 337 league-high attempts. It also said Atlanta was 9-2 when Reese shot at least 50% and 15-11 when she shot below that mark this season.

Looking ahead, WSBTV said Dream games include finishing a four-game West Coast road trip at Los Angeles on Monday, while the Mercury play at home against Washington on Tuesday and Thursday.