Angel Reese and DeWanna Bonner made their presence felt for the Atlanta Dream in the team’s 92-77 win over the Washington Mystics in Game 1 of their first-round series in the WNBA playoffs.
Reese finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and one block as the Dream erased an 11-point deficit in the first half to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Bonner, for her part, chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block off the bench.
While it was Rhyne Howard (26 points) and Allisha Gray (22 points) who made the most offensive contributions, there’s no denying that Reese and Bonner were equally impactful in the win.
Reese and Bonner also produced a number of highlight plays in the game. In fact, during the third quarter, the two showed their elite connection for a highlight play that even caught the attention of the WNBA.
Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
With the Dream leading 58-48 with 2:31 remaining in the quarter, Bonner found Reese cutting toward the basket before dishing out a perfectly timed lob pass.
Reese caught the ball and immediately attacked the rim, powering through contact and finishing the layup. She drew a foul on the play, giving Atlanta another opportunity to add to its lead from the free-throw line.
The 24-year-old Dream forward calmly knocked down the ensuing free throw, completing the three-point play and extending Atlanta’s lead to 13 at 61-48.
The WNBA shared a video of the moment, which also showed how hyped Reese and Bonner were following the play.
The play was a great display of the developing chemistry between Reese and Bonner, who was a late addition to the Dream after she reached a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Mercury to join a contender.
It will be interesting to see if Reese, Bonner and the rest of the Dream can maintain their dominant run in the playoffs. Sure enough, though, the team showed in Game 1 against the Mystics just how deep they are and how dangerous they can be.
