Angel Reese sets Atlanta Dream rebound record in 98-89 win over Seattle Storm

The Atlanta Dream's "Thunder Twins" showed up in a big way Friday night.

Angel Reese and Naz Hillmon combined for 39 points, and Atlanta pulled away late to beat the Seattle Storm 98-89 at Gateway Center Arena, extending the Dream's winning streak to five games. 

Reese recorded her 19th double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while also setting a new Atlanta Dream record for offensive rebounds in a season with her 137th, surpassing Brionna Jones. Hillmon added 18 points and recorded her 11th double-digit scoring performance of the season.

Brionna Jones came off the bench to contribute 14 points and five rebounds, and Rhyne Howard added nine points while recording four steals — her 15th game this season with three or more steals. Jordin Canada ran the offense with nine assists and went eight-of-eight shooting from the free throw line. Jaylyn Sherrod also provided a spark off the bench with seven points in nine minutes.

Seattle kept it close, cutting the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter before Atlanta held firm. Natisha Hiedeman led the Storm with 23 points and Ezi Magbegor added 12 off the bench.

Reese credited the Dream's interior depth for making the difference.

"There's just so many different weapons from all three of us, and also Medina as well, where we can score from so many different places," Reese said. "We know when Bri's in with the advantage, and we try to get it to her inside."

Hillmon said the winning streak has shown the team what it's capable of, even if there is still work to do.

"We can turn things around," she said. "There was a point in the game where it might have got to like four points, and we were able to pick it back up and stretch it back out to 10."

Coach Karl Smesko highlighted Reese's continued improvement from three-point range, she went 2-of-5 from deep, as one of the most encouraging developments of the second half of the season.

"She's been working on it a long time, and it's starting to get more comfortable," Smesko said. "At the All-Star break, she said she felt like for the first time it was comfortable, and that she was going to be shooting it a lot better. She has a lot of confidence in it right now."

Smesko added that while the win streak is encouraging, the Dream still have room to grow.

"We have the makings of a great team," he said. "I don't think we're all the way there yet. But there are stretches where we're as good as anybody."