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After missing a late-game layup that would have defeated the Indiana Fever on Sunday, Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese said she had a hard time sleeping.
On Tuesday, she bounced back with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Aces. Two nights later, she delivered an even more complete performance against the Sparks.
Reese finished with 20 points on 9-for-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals as the Dream (23-12) routed the Sparks (12-24), 124-88, at Crypto.com Arena for their second consecutive victory.
The 124 points set a Dream franchise record.
Reese’s 9-for-9 performance set a Dream franchise record for the most field goals made without a miss.
Photo: Atlanta Dream
In the first half, Reese scored 10 consecutive points for the Dream.
She became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 100% from the field in the first half.
The All-Star forward said her defense led to her offense.
“I was just in the mode,” she said. “I mean, when you see the ball go through, go, go through the net, you just continue to shoot it. I think the defense really led to the offense, and we got a lot of deflections. We talk about steals all the time and being able to get our hands on the ball a lot of times, so I kind of knew it, what kind of game it was going to be from the first steal I got, and just continue to fight through.”
Reese faced heavy criticism following Atlanta’s loss to the Fever, but she said she continues to push through it.
“A lot of people want to be in this position,” Reese said. “And a lot of people can’t sit in my shoes and being able to take the things that I take and go through the things that I do, and it’s not normal a lot of times, but I continue to push through because I know what I want in life, and I know who I am and I know my purpose, and I’m just going to continue to strive for that. Nobody on the outside can really dictate who I am and who I’m going to continue to be.”
You can say what you want about Reese, but one thing you can’t say is that she isn’t tough. She has a way of fighting through adversity, and that was evident against the Aces and the Sparks.
Don’t doubt Angel Reese!