Angel Reese dominates as Dream unleash 109-Point offensive explosion against Mystics

The Atlanta Dream scored 109 points, the second-highest total in franchise history, in a dominant 109-77 blowout of the Washington Mystics at Gateway Center Arena. The Dream bounced back emphatically from Thursday's loss to the Indiana Fever to improve to 7-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Commissioner's Cup. 

Angel Reese put together one of the best performances of her young WNBA career Saturday, finishing with 18 points, a season-high 17 rebounds and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. It was her seventh double-double of the season and the 56th of her career. With four steals on the night, Reese also reached 100 career steals.

"I work on it every single day," Reese said of her free throw performance. "I know that I'm going to get to the free throw line a lot. Free throws happen, you never know how the game may go, but when I get them, I need to make sure I knock them down."

Rhyne Howard was equally dominant, finishing with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting and a career-high-tying six steals, including swiping the ball from Sonia Citron on the very first possession of the game. The six steals also moved Howard into fourth place all-time in Dream franchise history for career steals. She held Citron to just nine points while guarding her on about 94% of the possessions they shared on the court.

Head coach Karl Smesko said Howard's defensive performance was as good as it gets.

"There's no question her defense has been outstanding this season," Smesko said. "She wants the toughest assignment. She got in a little bit of foul trouble and we were talking about moving somebody else on Citron so she wouldn't get her fifth, and she said 'I'll guard her.' And she didn't pick up the foul. She's just one of the best two-way players in the league right now."

The bench was equally impressive. Madina Okot, Isobel Borlase and Sika Kone combined for 29 points off the bench as Atlanta finished with 40 total bench points. Every Dream player scored. Okot finished with 11 points in 18 minutes, and Borlase added nine points in 23 minutes. It was her most productive game of the season.

Okot, just 21 years old, has drawn raves from her teammates and coaching staff. Reese said her young teammate continues to grow every game.

"I tell her when she comes in the game: 'You are the best, you are a beast, and nobody in front of you can guard you but you,'" Reese said. "She's been a sponge, always willing to learn. Her sky is the limit."

Smesko was equally effusive about Okot's potential.

"She has the ability to be one of the best players in the league," Smesko said. "She's physical, she's strong, she has skills. She's not intimidated by it. She goes right at them."

Allisha Gray chipped in 15 points and went 12-of-15 from the free throw line, adding five assists. Jordin Canada contributed 11 points and five assists without committing a turnover. The Dream shot 48% from the field, 52% from three-point range and forced 17 Washington turnovers, converting them into 26 points.

Smesko credited the ball movement that was noticeably absent in the Indiana loss just two days earlier.

"The ball moved, it got to open people, we attacked space, and when we didn't have a good shot, we passed it to somebody else," Smesko said. "The team took the message and ran with it, and hopefully they saw how successful it can be."

Reese said the loss to Indiana lit a fire under the entire team.

"You just come back home and protect your house," Reese said. "Obviously, we don't like to lose, and the way we lost wasn't something that we wanted. Everybody took a look in the mirror last game and figured out how we can individually be better for the team."

The 109 points were three shy of the all-time franchise record and also represented the third-most points ever allowed by the Washington Mystics in franchise history. Kiki Iriafen led Washington with 24 points. Sonia Citron added 18 but was largely neutralized by Howard's defense.

The Dream will look to carry the momentum into next week when they travel to Chicago to take on the Sky on Tuesday.