Photo Credit: Atlanta Dream/Instagram
By: Jennifer Portee
8/23/2026
Angel Reese turned in the best scoring night of her WNBA career Saturday, dropping 31 points and pulling down 14 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream beat the Phoenix Mercury 99-89 to clinch a playoff berth.
Reese went 14-for-21 from the field and logged her 25th double-double of the season. Coming off a 9-for-9 shooting performance in her previous game, she has now made 23 of her last 30 shots. Her 31 points topped the previous career high of 27, set during her rookie season in Chicago.
Atlanta took control early and never fully let Phoenix back in. Rhyne Howard knocked down four 3-pointers and helped the Dream jump out to a 14-3 lead less than four minutes into the game. The Dream led 29-18 after the first quarter and carried a 50-35 advantage into halftime.
Howard finished with 20 points, Allisha Gray added 17, and Jordin Canada scored 12 as Atlanta improved to 24-13. The Dream have won five of their last six games and moved a half game ahead of Indiana for the No. 4 seed with seven games remaining.
Phoenix made things interesting in the third quarter behind Kahleah Copper, who scored 17 of her game-high 38 points in the period. The Mercury shot 13-for-22 after halftime and cut the lead to one, but Atlanta answered before the fourth quarter and took a 73-68 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Alyssa Thomas recorded her 22nd regular-season triple-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, while DeWanna Bonner scored 12. The loss eliminated Phoenix from the playoff race one season after its trip to the WNBA Finals.
Reese has already set Atlanta’s single-season record for double-doubles and is three shy of the league’s single-season mark. The Dream will close their four-game West Coast trip against Los Angeles on Monday, while Phoenix hosts Washington on Tuesday and Thursday.