The Atlanta Dream led through every quarter and controlled nearly every major statistical category against the Seattle Storm.
But this is the WNBA, where a game is rarely over when it appears to be.
Seattle mounted a late comeback and made the closing minutes far more interesting than Atlanta would have preferred. The Dream bent under the pressure but never completely broke, making enough plays down the stretch to come away with a 98-89 victory.
The highlight of the night was not one play, but two.
Angel Reese connected on a pair of three-pointers during the fourth quarter, providing a glimpse of the expanded offensive game she and Dream head coach Karl Smesko have been working to develop.
After one of the makes, Reese spread her arms in celebration as the crowd reacted to a shot that opponents have traditionally been willing to concede.
This time, Reese made them pay.
She finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards, to record a double-double. Reese shot 5-of-12 from the field, 2-of-5 from three and 9-of-12 at the free-throw line while posting a game-best plus-14.
Smesko said Reese’s comfort level from the perimeter has noticeably improved.
“Within the last week, we really started breaking it down on film, and I think it really kind of clicked with her,” Smesko said. “She looked a lot more comfortable with the release today, even the ones that missed. You could see that it was a lot smoother. That’s definitely a positive step, and I think it’ll only get better from here.”
The coach added that Reese’s confidence in the shot had been building since the All-Star break.
“She’s been working on it a long time, and it’s starting to get more comfortable,” Smesko said. “She said she felt like, for the first time, it was comfortable for her and that she was going to be shooting it a lot better in the second half of the season. She has a lot of confidence in it right now.”
Reese credited the improvement to the daily work she has put in with Smesko and the Dream coaching staff.
“These are shots that we work on every single day,” Reese said. “You could see how much Karl worked with Naz last year, and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Atlanta. It obviously doesn’t always show up right away when you want it to, but it feels good for the small win. I’m going to take it today and continue to try to get better every day.”
Reese was one of five Atlanta players to score in double figures.
Naz Hillmon added 18 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting, including two three-pointers. Allisha Gray scored 16 points, Brionna Jones contributed 14 in only 17 minutes, and Jordin Canada finished with 10 points and a game-high nine assists.
Rhyne Howard struggled with her shot for much of the night but still found several ways to affect the game. She recorded nine points, five assists, four steals and three blocks while committing only one turnover.
Howard also delivered one of the most important baskets of the closing stretch, knocking down an improvised one-footed three-pointer as Seattle threatened to take control of the momentum.
“We had probably one of our ugliest possessions of the year, and then Rhyne hit a one-footed three-point shot,” Smesko said. “I thought that was a huge moment. You could almost sense that was a momentum changer.”
Atlanta’s balance was reflected in the team numbers.
The Dream made 10 three-pointers compared with Seattle’s five and shot 38 percent from beyond the arc while holding the Storm to 22 percent. Atlanta also finished with advantages in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
The Dream outrebounded Seattle 33-30, including an 11-8 advantage on the offensive glass. They handed out 24 assists on 27 made field goals and forced 19 Storm turnovers while collecting 14 steals.
Atlanta also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 34 of its 39 attempts. Seattle went 24-of-30.
The Storm remained within striking distance behind Natisha Hiedeman, who led all scorers with 23 points and added five assists. Dominique Malonga recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Ezi Magbegor scored 12 before fouling out.
Seattle shot 44 percent from the field, slightly better than Atlanta’s 42 percent, but the Storm’s turnovers and poor three-point shooting repeatedly stalled their comeback efforts.
The Dream created separation with their defensive pressure, though Smesko said Atlanta still needs to do a better job of converting those opportunities into easy points.
“We’re making a lot of plays, deflections, steals,” Smesko said. “I do want to see us get better at converting those into points. Those are huge momentum plays in the game. The more times we can get a deflection or get a steal, the more times we can play to our strength.”
Despite the victory, Smesko was not willing to overlook the stretch that allowed Seattle to make a late push.
“We scored 98 points. We forced a lot of turnovers. There were so many really good things,” Smesko said. “But as a coach, you’re like, ‘Yeah, but that four-minute stretch, that’ll get you beat.’ We have the makings of a great team. I don’t think we’re all the way there yet, but there are stretches where we’re as good as anybody.”
Reese also emphasized the versatility of Atlanta’s frontcourt, which can attack opponents in several different ways with Hillmon, Jones and Madina Okot alongside her.
“There are just so many different weapons,” Reese said. “We know when Bri is in, we have the advantage inside. We know the pick-and-pop with Naz. I’m just trying to figure out where I can get in to help lead the team and bring as much energy as I can.”
For much of the night, Atlanta looked like the complete team Smesko believes it can become.
The Dream defended, shared the basketball, attacked the glass and received meaningful production throughout the rotation. Seattle’s late surge showed there is still work to do, but Atlanta’s response demonstrated its ability to steady itself when the game tightened.
