Reese's 31 powers Dream past Mercury into playoffs
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- Angel Reese scored a career-high 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting with 14 rebounds for her 25th double-double, powering the Dream's 99-89 win over Phoenix and clinching a playoff berth.
- Atlanta (24-13) moved a half-game ahead of Indiana for the fourth seed with seven games remaining, having won five of their past six.
- Reese set Atlanta's single-season record for double-doubles and sits three shy of the league record, topping her previous career high of 27 set in her 2024 rookie year with the Chicago Sky.
- Kahleah Copper posted 38 points for Phoenix (13-24), which became the first team since 2008 to miss the playoffs after reaching the WNBA Finals the previous season.
- Alyssa Thomas recorded her 22nd regular-season triple-double (11 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists), adding to her six career playoff triple-doubles.
- Rhyne Howard hit four threes for 20 points as Atlanta bolted to a 14-3 lead inside four minutes and led 50-35 at halftime before Phoenix rallied within one in the third.
- Dream coach Karl Smesko praised Reese's expanding offensive game, citing post moves, ball-screen layups, and putbacks as the keys to her fourth-quarter surge.
Why it matters: Reese's record-setting double-double pace and Atlanta's grip on the fourth seed secure the Dream's playoff return with seven games left, while Phoenix's elimination marks the first WNBA Finals-to-miss collapse in 17 years — a steep fall for a team that played for a championship last season.
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