The Atlanta Dream vs. Minnesota Lynx game wasn't just a personal win for Angel Reese. Despite making WNBA history, the Dream forward's words of encouragement to teammate Rhyne Howard guaranteed her side's 89-81 win over the visitors.
During the Dream's home win over Minnesota on August 30, 2026, Howard was scoreless in the first half. She scored all 16 of her points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. The reason? Her teammate pumping her up!
Atlanta, which is vying for a top-four position in the rankings, defeated the league-leading Minnesota with a much-needed team-oriented effort. Reese created WNBA history and excelled as an on-court leader during this victory for her side, which is headed to the playoffs.
The Dream needed to win Sunday's game against the Lynx after losing to the Portland Fire 101-83 on Friday. In front of their home crowd at The Gateway Center Arena, Atlanta narrowly defeated the visiting Minnesota team.
The squad needed another strong effort from its star player, Reese, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds for her record-breaking 29th double-double this season. However, Reese, in her postgame interview, expressed appreciation to Howard for stepping up in pivotal moments.
As Howard was having trouble shooting early in the game, Reese imparted a few words of wisdom to her. In a postgame interview, Reese shared what she told her teammate after going scoreless in the first half.
Reese shared, "I told her, 'Shooters shoot.' She didn't make a shot in the first half, and I felt like she was a little down. So just putting confidence into her, pouring into her, 'I tell you, I'm gonna need you. I need you every single time. If you miss, baby, I'm gonna get the rebound, don't worry.'"
Guess the pep talk worked, as Howard, who was 0-for-3 in the first half and scored zero points, finished with 16 points after a second-half surge. She was 1-for-7 from the field going into the fourth quarter, but she busted Minnesota with 12 points on nine shots.
Halfway through the last quarter, Howard made consecutive three-pointers to give her side the much-needed lead against the visitors. She was 2-of-9 from beyond the arc and 6-of-16 from the field.
Reese was impressed with her teammate's play and recognized how crucial it was to their 26th victory of the year.
"So I told her to keep shooting, and she came out big for us today. I'm so happy for her."
In 35 minutes, Howard's official stats were 16 points (6-16 FG, 2-9 3PT, 2-2 FT), three assists, two steals, one rebound, and one block. The Lynx mounted a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to seven points before Howard hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Dream a 14-point advantage with 5:55 left.
With 37.5 percent FG and 32.2 percent from three on heavy volume (9.6 3PA per game), Howard's 2025 season was marred by shooting inefficiency. However, her 2026 season showed a notable improvement : 41.0 percent FG, 36.7 percent from three, and 18.3 PPG over 39 games.
Allisha Gray led Atlanta on Sunday with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Reese ended the game with 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, a block, and 15 points on 62.5 percent shooting. Reese is averaging 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds over the season.
The 26-14 Atlanta has moved up to fourth place in the league rankings with their most recent triumph. With four games left in the regular season, they are still in the hunt for second place.
