Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese continued her impressive start to the 2026 WNBA season on Friday night, recording her fourth double-double in seven games to lead Atlanta to an emphatic 86-66 road victory over the Portland Fire.
Reese finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists while shooting 6-of-14 from the field. The second-year star established herself early, scoring several strong baskets in the post during the first half and helping the Dream control the tempo throughout much of the contest.
Atlanta appeared to be in command entering the fourth quarter, but Portland mounted a late push in the third. The Fire closed the period on a 14-5 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Sarah Ashlee Barker with 20.1 seconds remaining, trimming the Dream’s lead to 59-53.
Any hopes of a Portland comeback quickly disappeared in the final frame.
The Dream opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 9-0 run and never looked back, outscoring the Fire 27-13 over the final 10 minutes. Atlanta’s defensive intensity proved to be the difference, forcing turnovers and converting them into easy scoring opportunities.
Naz Hillmon delivered one of the game’s key sequences with 4:49 remaining. After grabbing an offensive rebound, she converted a putback while drawing a foul and completed the three-point play to extend Atlanta’s advantage to 77-57. Hillmon finished with 14 points and five steals in a strong all-around performance.
Rhyne Howard also contributed 14 points while recording six steals, helping fuel a disruptive defensive effort. Together, Howard and Hillmon accounted for 11 of Atlanta’s 16 steals. Allisha Gray added 13 points and three steals, while also reaching a significant career milestone by surpassing 1,000 made free throws.
Atlanta’s defense forced a season-high 28 Portland turnovers, which translated into 33 Dream points. The Fire managed 25 made field goals but struggled to protect the basketball against Atlanta’s relentless pressure.
Barker led Portland with 14 points off the bench. Carla Leite added 11 points, while Emily Engstler and Megan Gustafson chipped in 10 points apiece. Rookie guard Holly Winterburn made her first career WNBA start in place of Bridget Carleton, who missed the game with a back injury. Winterburn contributed six points and seven assists.
Carleton’s absence was significant for Portland. She entered the game averaging 15.3 points and 2.1 steals per contest, ranking second in the league in steals behind Atlanta guard Jordin Canada.
With the victory, Atlanta improved to 5-2 on the season and moved into a tie for second place in the WNBA standings alongside the Golden State Valkyries. The Dream will look to continue their strong start when they return home Tuesday night to face the Connecticut Sun, currently the league’s last-place team.
