Angel Reese scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for a double-double in her debut with the Atlanta Dream on Saturday.
Surely making that achievement even sweeter was the Dream rallying from a 19-point deficit for a 91-90 win over the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Reese preserved the victory by blocking a layup attempt by Emese Hof — her third block of the game — as time expired.
Reese reaching double figures in points and rebounds for her first game with the Dream probably shouldn’t be a surprise, as she did so 46 times during her first two WNBA seasons. That’s the most any player has collected, surpassing Tina Charles’ 45 double-doubles in her initial two WNBA campaigns.
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The 6-foot-3 Reese also set several records with double-doubles during her rookie season with the Chicago Sky, including a stretch of 15 straight while grabbing 20 rebounds in three consecutive contests. She finished the 2024 campaign by breaking Charles’ rookie record with 23 double-doubles. and grabbed the most rebounds for a single season.
Third shot was the charm for Atlanta
The comeback for Atlanta looked as if it would fall just short in during the final minute. Atlanta had an opportunity to take the lead, but Jordin Canada had her shot blocked by Anastasiia Olairi Kosu and Reese missed a layup after grabbing the offensive rebound.
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Canada got the rebound from Reese’s miss and Dream coach Karl Smesko called timeout with 22.5 seconds remaining. Off the inbounds play, Atlanta had difficulty finding an open look. But after taking a pass from Naz Hillmon and getting past Lynx rookie Olivia Miles with a dribble, Te-Hina Paopao freed herself up for a midrange jumper and the go-ahead score.
Allisha Gray led all scorers with 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Atlanta. She shot 7-of-18 from the floor, but made up for it by going 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. Hillmon and Rhyne Howard each added 15 points.
Dream roared back in third quarter
The Lynx took a 52-33 lead with a minute remaining in the first half. But a 3-pointer by Hillmon and free throw from Reese just before halftime slowly began the Dream’s rally.
Atlanta then began the third quarter by outscoring Minnesota 20-6, with 12 points from Gray, cutting its deficit to 58-57 midway through the frame. But the Lynx recovered to prevent the Dream from taking the lead and rebuilt an eight-point margin going into the fourth.
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Minnesota took a 73-63 lead as the fourth quarter began on two free throws by Miles, but the Dream managed to cut that deficit to three points at three different points as the quarter progressed. Miles scored two baskets during that span to keep Atlanta two possessions away from a tie. But Hillmon finally broke through with a 3-pointer to tie the score at 85-85 with under three minutes to go.
After Atlanta took the lead on Paopao’s jumper, the Lynx had two chances to go back on top. But Gray blocked a layup attempt by Miles, then Reese blocked Hof to clinch the season-opening victory.
Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft out of TCU, finished with 21 points, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in her professional debut. Kayla McBride added 18 for the Lynx, followed by 14 from Courtney Williams, who also added 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.
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Both teams resume play on Tuesday with the Dream continuing their season-opening road trip at the Dallas Wings, while the Lynx visit the Phoenix Mercury.
