{
  "id": 2717354,
  "title": "Reese has career night with 31 points, Dream hold off Mercury 99-89 despite Copper’s 38 points",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/reese-has-career-night-with-31-points-dream-hold-off-mercury-99-89",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T04:30:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/basketball/2026/08/22/reese-has-career-night-with-31-points-dream-hold-off-mercury-99-89-despite-coppers-38-points"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Angel Reese had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 31 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, securing her 25th double-double of the season for the Atlanta Dream. The Dream secured a playoff berth with a 99-89 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday night. Rhyne Howard contributed 20 points, Allisha Gray added 17, and Jordin Canada chipped in 12 for the Dream, who have won five of their last six games. The Dream have moved a half-game ahead of Indiana for the fourth seed with seven games remaining. Kahleah Copper scored 38 points for the Mercury, but the loss eliminated them from playoff contention. Alyssa Thomas had her 22nd regular-season triple-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and she has six triple-doubles in the playoffs. DeWanna Bonner scored 12 points. Reese, a 43% shooter for the season, shot 14 of 21 from the field. The Dream finished the game with a game-high 14 of 21 from the field, while the Mercury were 13 of 22 in the third quarter after just 10 of 29 in the first half.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Angel Reese scored 31 points and 14 rebounds, setting a career-high",
    "Dream defeated Mercury 99-89, securing playoff berth",
    "Kahleah Copper scored 38 points but eliminated Mercury from playoffs"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Atlanta Dream's win secures their playoff berth and puts them in position to potentially hold onto the fourth seed, dealing a blow to the Phoenix Mercury's postseason hopes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}