Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream had several chances to pick up a regulation win over the Indiana Fever in their thrilling overtime game this past weekend, but ultimately failed to score a game-winning shot before the buzzer. Reese was among those who had a great look at a layup, but unfortunately missed after attempting a shot from beneath the basket. Teammate Naz Hillmon also attempted a potential game-winner and missed the mark, which brought overtime, where the Fever eventually secured a 95-91 win.
On Tuesday night, the Dream bounced back from that defeat by beating the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in their home venue. While speaking to reporters, Reese revealed that the potential game-winning layup she missed haunted her, keeping her from sleeping afterward. "As I said, last game, it was very tough for me.
I didn't sleep, and the competitor in me wanted to win that game so bad, and we played that play so many times, but I'm like, 'Why would I let one moment dictate everything else that's going on that is positive?'" Reese said. More news: Sparks Legend Announces WNBA Retirement After 18 Seasons "Just being able to show up again for my team. It would've been negative for me not to come out tonight and just bounce back.
I knew they expected it from me," she said during her media session. Tuesday night's game saw the Dream take control in the first half, en route to a 52-41 halftime lead against A'ja Wilson and the Aces. Las Vegas lost its head coach, Becky Hammon, in the first half after she was ejected for two technical fouls for berating a referee over non-calls on Wilson.
Reese shook off that huge miss against the Fever to put on a strong performance against the Aces, scoring 21 points after she went 6 of 13 from the field. In addition, she grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out four assists, and stole the ball four times to help Atlanta win 97-82 on the road. There has been some criticism of Reese's scoring abilities during her time in the WNBA, with some mentioning her missing layups and shots during games.
She's averaging a career-high 15.7 points per game for the Dream in her third season. It's hard to argue that Reese is one of the top defensive players and rebounders in the league, and last night she reminded everyone that her scoring can also be unleashed in WNBA games. The Dream moved to 22-13 with the win and are currently trailing the Aces for fourth in the WNBA standings.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
