By Milton Kirby | Phoenix, AZ | August 23, 2026

The Atlanta Dream is headed back to the WNBA playoffs.

Behind a career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds from Angel Reese, the Dream defeated the Phoenix Mercury 99-89 Saturday at Mortgage Matchup Center to clinch a postseason berth for the fourth consecutive season.

For Reese, it will be her first trip to the WNBA playoffs.

“It feels good to finally get here,” Reese said. “I want more than the playoffs. I want to walk away a champ and that’s why I came to Atlanta.”

The victory was Atlanta’s third straight and improved the Dream to 24-13 with seven games remaining in the regular season.

Atlanta has secured a place in the postseason, but the remaining games could determine whether the Dream opens the playoffs at home.

“You don’t want to peak too early and we are right where we want to be right now,” Reese said.

Reese Sets a Career High

Reese’s 31 points surpassed her previous career high of 27, set against Seattle in 2024.

She added 14 rebounds, four steals and two assists while recording her 25th double-double of the season and her third consecutive double-double.

Reese has also produced at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in three consecutive games. She became the third player in WNBA history to accomplish that feat, joining A’ja Wilson and Nneka Ogwumike.

“She keeps getting better,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “She was scoring in a multitude of ways.”

Reese was not Atlanta’s only scoring threat.

Rhyne Howard finished with 20 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. It was Howard’s 15th game this season with at least 20 points.

Allisha Gray scored 17 points and added five rebounds and four assists.

Jordin Canada finished with 12 points, five assists, two steals and a season-high two blocks.

Isobel Borlase contributed a career-high six assists.

Canada, Gray, Howard and Reese all scored in double figures.

Atlanta is now 24-8 with a starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Naz Hillmon and Reese.

Dream Comes Out Firing

Atlanta established control early.

The Dream built a 29-18 first-quarter lead behind six 3-pointers and eight assists.

Howard was especially aggressive from outside. All seven of her first-quarter field goal attempts came from behind the 3-point line, and she made four.

Atlanta’s defense was just as effective.

The Dream held Phoenix to 26.7% shooting in the opening quarter.

“Today the way we started, and the last two games, the way we came out, we came out with a lot of aggression on the defensive end, which got our offense going, and we were able to maintain that throughout the last two games,” Canada said.

The Dream’s 3-point shooting cooled considerably in the second quarter. Atlanta made only one of eight attempts from beyond the arc.

But the Dream found another way to score.

Atlanta attacked inside and extended its lead to 50-35 by halftime.

The Dream eventually finished with 48 points in the paint and shot 87.5% from the free-throw line.

Phoenix Erases Most of the Lead

A game that Atlanta appeared to have under control changed quickly in the third quarter.

Phoenix shot 59.1% from the field during the period and made five of seven shots from 3-point range.

With 45 seconds remaining in the quarter, the Mercury had cut Atlanta’s lead to one.

Madina Okot made two free throws to give the Dream a 71-68 advantage. Howard then ended the quarter with a bank shot that sent Atlanta into the fourth leading 73-68.

The Dream still had the lead.

Smesko, however, saw a stretch of basketball that could prove much more costly in the postseason.

He said Atlanta cannot afford another five-minute stretch like the one it had to begin the third quarter. The Dream failed to run sets correctly, did not get back on defense and allowed too many layups.

“It’s hard to play great for 40 minutes but that’s the goal,” Smesko said.

Atlanta Responds

The Dream did not allow Phoenix’s third-quarter momentum to carry into the fourth.

Atlanta opened the final period with a 6-2 run to rebuild its advantage to 79-70.

This time, Phoenix did not come back.

Atlanta maintained control through the remainder of the fourth quarter and closed out the 99-89 victory.

“It was good to see us regroup, get the win, and qualify for the playoffs,” Smesko said.

The Dream forced 16 Phoenix turnovers and turned them into 18 points. Atlanta also recorded 12 steals.

Those numbers help explain how Atlanta survived a night when Phoenix nearly erased a 15-point halftime deficit.

But Smesko’s concern about the third quarter also provides a glimpse at what comes next.

The Dream has accomplished one goal.

It has reached the playoffs.

Now Atlanta has seven regular-season games to improve its postseason position and eliminate the stretches that could turn a playoff game in the wrong direction.

The Goal Gets Bigger

For a team that has now qualified for the postseason four consecutive years, simply getting there does not have to be the final measure of success.

The Dream still has an opportunity to earn home-court advantage in the opening round.

Atlanta also enters the final portion of the regular season with Reese producing some of the best numbers of her career and Howard, Gray and Canada providing additional scoring.

The win in Phoenix demonstrated why the Dream can be dangerous.

Atlanta defended, forced turnovers, scored inside and had four starters finish in double figures.

It also demonstrated what still needs work.

A 15-point halftime lead nearly disappeared during one quarter.

Atlanta responded before it cost the Dream the game.

That response allowed the Dream to leave Phoenix with its third consecutive victory and, more importantly, a guaranteed place in the postseason.

The four-game road trip concludes Monday in Los Angeles.

The question facing Atlanta is no longer whether it will reach the playoffs.

It is what the Dream will do once it gets there.

Reese has already made clear what she wants.

“I want more than the playoffs,” Reese said. “I want to walk away a champ.”