Angel Reese wnba record came with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Atlanta Dream beat the Phoenix Mercury 82-80 on Friday. Atlanta erased a 15-point deficit and improved to 4-1, turning a rough start in the fourth quarter into a home win.
Reese Helps Atlanta Flip the Game
Reese finished with four assists, three steals and a block, and her final steal helped seal the result. The Dream needed that late defense after trailing Phoenix by eight entering the fourth quarter.
Jordin Canada drove the comeback from there. She tied the game with 1:03 left on a tough and-one layup, then made the free throw to put Atlanta ahead by one.
Howard And Gray Add The Scoring
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 21 points, while Allisha Gray scored 18. Howard then hit a clutch 3-pointer off a Canada pass to stretch the lead after the turnaround had already begun.
Atlanta’s balance showed in the box score. Canada added 11 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, giving the Dream enough playmaking to survive a night when the Mercury kept pushing.
Phoenix Answers But Falls Short
Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix with 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Kahleah Copper also scored 20. The Mercury still could not hold off Atlanta after building the early cushion.
The win fit the shape of Atlanta’s season. The Dream opened with back-to-back wins, lost by one point to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in their third game, then beat the Dallas Wings by 17 before Friday’s finish. They go to the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday with another tight result already on the ledger.
