After Angel Reese ‘let my team down,’ she lifts Dream to big win over Aces

“But I’m like, ‘Why would I let one game dictate everything else that I have going on that’s positive?’ … It would have been negative (for me) to not come out tonight and just bounce back. I knew they expected it from me.”

Reese gave the Dream (22-13) everything they needed to beat the defending WNBA champs.

She finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four assists against just one turnover. Reese made it hard for Aces superstar A’ja Wilson to get to her sweet spots with the ball.

Reese made two plays that gave the Dream breathing room after Las Vegas cut its 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to 88-82 with 1:46 to go.

Dream guard Allisha Gray darted across on a drive with superlative shot blocker Wilson in close pursuit. Reese set a subtle screen against Wilson to create space for Gray, who made the fadeaway jumper for a 90-82 lead.

Wilson tried to make a play against Reese on the next possession. But Reese poked the ball away from Wilson as she started her move. Dream guard Jordin Canada collected the loose ball and scored a layup that put the Aces away.

It was the Dream’s best victory since opening the season with a win at the Lynx (29-7), who have the league’s best record. Las Vegas overcame a deficit in the final minute to beat the Dream at State Farm Arena in May. The Aces pummeled the Dream here on Aug. 8.

This time, the Dream were faster, tougher and better than the Aces. The Dream ended a seven-game losing streak at Las Vegas and improved to 4-8 against the top four teams in the WNBA standings.

Give Reese a lot of credit for that.

Rhyne Howard scored a team-high 23 points and Gray added 21, despite foul trouble. But Reese set the tone for the Dream with her toughness and tenacity at both ends.

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Reese kept challenging Aces defenders at the rim on drives. They kept blocking her shots, but Reese didn’t stop attacking. Reese earned nine free-throw attempts and made eight of them.

Reese helped hold four-time league MVP Wilson to 7-of-18 shooting (6-of-16 on 2-pointers). Wilson needed to make 12 free throws to reach 27 points. Game officials ejected Aces coach Becky Hammon in the second quarter for her outburst after Wilson didn’t get a foul call on a drive.

“I know how good A’ja is,” Reese said. “So, just trying to deflect as many passes as I can, deny her (the ball), make her catches farther out … She’s going to get her shots up, of course, but just knowing my spots and how great I am defensively and (trying) to put pressure on her.”

The Dream are fifth in the WNBA standings. The Aces (24-13) dropped to fourth with the loss, along with Indiana’s victory at Toronto on Tuesday. As things stand, the Aces would have home-court advantage against the Dream in a best-of-three first-round playoff series.

The Dream lost to Indiana in last year’s first round, despite holding home-court advantage. Trading for Reese was supposed to elevate them to contending status. Reese’s struggles with scoring at the basket — along with the Dream’s problems against the league’s top teams — raised doubts about that.

The overtime loss to Indiana after Reese missed at the buzzer at the end of regulation was another reason to be skeptical of the Dream and her limitations.

“It was very tough for me last game,” Reese said. “It’s about how you respond. It was important for me to respond back to help my team. I felt like I let my team down last game.

“They know who I am and how much I’m a competitor. Just coming out tonight and doing whatever it takes to win, that was my goal.”

Two nights after coming up short in a big game against the Fever, Reese did it all against the Aces.

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