By: Jennifer Portee
7/14/2026
Angel Reese kept doing what she’s been doing all season, and the Dream needed every bit of it. Atlanta beat the Sparks 101-92 on Monday night behind Reese’s 23 points and 13 rebounds, giving her a league-leading 16th double-double of the year.
This one wasn’t smooth for Atlanta. The Dream had been stuck in a rough stretch, losing six of seven, and Los Angeles kept making it a game. Erica Wheeler, Nneka Ogwumike and Rae Burrell all scored 18 or more for the Sparks, and with a little over four minutes left, the pressure was real after Dearica Hamby put L.A. in front 87-85.
Atlanta answered right there. Allisha Gray knocked down the first field goal of the fourth quarter for the Dream to tie it, then Reese got a soft bounce on her third 3-pointer of the season to swing the lead back Atlanta’s way. She followed that with two free throws, Jordin Canada finished the 9-0 run, and the game was basically done from there.
That stretch said a lot about Atlanta’s night. The Dream didn’t get much easy, but when the game tightened, Reese stayed hungry. She shot 7-for-11 from the floor and hit all eight free throws. Canada added 16 points, Gray had 20, and Rhyne Howard chipped in 11.
For the Sparks, the injuries keep piling up. Cameron Brink sat out again with a left ankle issue, and Kelsey Plum missed another game with a lower left leg injury. Even so, Los Angeles had enough scoring to hang around for most of the night. The problem was the finish.
Atlanta heads to Toronto on Friday, while the Sparks are back on the road at Minnesota on Wednesday.