Overview
- Las Vegas edged Atlanta 85-84 on Chelsea Gray’s late two-pointer, as A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
- Angel Reese struggled in the home game, finishing with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 1-of-8 shooting and a season-high 8 turnovers.
- Reese sat late in the fourth quarter, and Allisha Gray paced the Dream with 25 points during a comeback that cut a 19-point deficit to a brief lead.
- Her pregame nod to Wilson paired with a claim of her own greatness fed a wave of social-media criticism after the poor box score, including harsh posts shared by Yahoo Sports.
- Head coach Karl Smesko publicly backed Reese, citing a learning curve and absences for Brionna Jones and Rhyne Howard, and said he expects steady growth before the May 22 game against Dallas.