Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream responded to their heartbreaking loss to the Indiana Fever with a statement win Tuesday, defeating the Las Vegas Aces 97-82 on the road. Reese delivered one of her best performances of the season, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her league-leading 24th double-double, while Rhyne Howard added 23 points.
The victory was especially important in the playoff race. Atlanta improved to 22-13 and moved to within one game of the Aces, who fell to 24-13 in fourth place. The Dream have nine regular-season games remaining, giving them plenty of time to challenge for home-court advantage in the postseason.
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Reese discussed the win during her postgame press conference, but her comments also revealed how difficult Sunday’s loss had been for her. She admitted that she barely slept after missing a potential game-winning layup against Indiana at the end of regulation.
“Last game was very tough for me. I didn’t sleep. The competitor in me wanted us to win that game so bad. I replay that play so many times. And I’m like, why would I let that moment dictate everything else that I have going on that’s positive?”
The moment Reese referenced came with the score tied and the clock winding down Sunday. After Rhyne Howard missed a three-pointer, Reese grabbed the offensive rebound with about three seconds remaining but missed the putback layup that could have won the game. Indiana eventually prevailed 95-91 in overtime.
Reese’s response came less than 48 hours later, as she helped Atlanta put the disappointment behind it against one of the league’s top teams.
The Dream now continue their West Coast road trip Thursday against the Los Angeles Sparks before facing the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday and returning to Los Angeles on Monday. Atlanta will then return home to face the Portland Fire on Aug. 28.
