Angel Reese’s dominant second-half start turns Dream return into 44-point statement
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Angel Reese’s dominant second-half start turns Dream return into 44-point statement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The WNBA paused for nearly three weeks during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Angel Reese apparently returned from Germany with no interest in easing back into anything.
Reese delivered one of the most efficient performances of her young career Thursday night, scoring 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting as the Atlanta Dream overwhelmed the Connecticut Sun, 103-59. She added 10 rebounds, recording her 30th double-double of the season while finishing one point short of her career high.
As impressive as the final numbers were, the way Reese attacked the beginning of the second half told the real story.
Atlanta carried a manageable 45-35 advantage into halftime. Reese and the Dream then turned the game into a rout almost immediately, overwhelming Connecticut with a 16-5 run and removing any suspense from the WNBA’s first game following the international break.
Angel Reese takes over after halftime
Reese played with tremendous force throughout the night, but she looked especially sharp as Atlanta began pulling away in the third quarter. The Dream outscored the Sun 31-11 in the period, stretching their 10-point halftime lead to 30. Reese’s corner 3-pointer midway through the quarter gave Atlanta a 61-40 advantage and capped her rapid start to the half.
SHE'S BUILT DIFFERENT 😤
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) September 18, 2026
Coming in just shy of her career high, Angel THEE Reese came back on a heater! At 78.6% from the field with a double-double and a couple of blocks for extra emphasis, Angel is your @albert Player of the Game! pic.twitter.com/9TH7xauhOr
That shot was her 10th field goal in only 13 attempts.
Reese did not need offensive rebounds or a mountain of missed shots to manufacture her points. She finished at an extraordinary 78.6 percent from the field, scoring from around the basket while also showing the expanding range that could make her even more difficult to defend in the postseason.
Reese reached 30 points at the free-throw line with 5:38 remaining. She secured her 10th rebound only seconds later, finishing the double-double in just 25 minutes. That limited playing time makes the performance even more remarkable. Reese averaged 1.2 points per minute and could have easily established a new career high if the game had remained competitive.
Instead, Atlanta’s dominance allowed coach Karl Smesko to protect one of his most important players late in the game.
MORE: Angel Reese makes stylish arrival as WNBA returns from World Cup break
Dream receive encouraging playoff preview
Reese’s offensive growth changes the potential ceiling of a Dream team that already possesses plenty of perimeter firepower. Atlanta entered the break with a playoff berth secured, but Reese returned looking like a player capable of becoming its postseason centerpiece. She had already demonstrated that she could control games with rebounding, energy and defense. Thursday’s performance showed how overwhelming Atlanta can become when she also scores this efficiently.
The outing came shortly after Reese helped the United States win the FIBA World Cup in Germany. Instead of looking tired following the international competition and travel, she produced one of her most complete games of the season. Atlanta outscored Connecticut 58-24 in the second half, including a 27-13 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Dream improved to 27-14, while the Sun fell to 10-31.
Reese was not the only Atlanta player to make history. Rhyne Howard broke Sabrina Ionescu’s WNBA single-season record by making her 129th 3-pointer. Howard needed only 40 games to establish the new mark despite enduring an unusually difficult 1-of-9 night from beyond the arc.
Allisha Gray also broke her own Dream franchise record for points in a season, increasing her total to 782. Howard and Gray each finished with 10 points. Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 13 points to lead Connecticut, but all 13 came during the first half. The Sun had no answer once Reese and Atlanta raised the intensity after the break.
The Dream will host Reese’s former team, the Chicago Sky, on Saturday night. If Reese carries this form into that matchup and the postseason, Atlanta may be returning from the World Cup break as an even more dangerous championship threat.