Angel Reese didn’t get the fairy-tale ending she hoped for on one of the biggest nights of her season as the Las Vegas Aces’ defense held her short of a win. Despite the 109-87 loss to A’ja Wilson and Co., she was able to notch a personal record and create franchise history.
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On ‘Barbie Night’, dedicated to Reese’s newly released signature Barbie doll, the forward delivered a dominant performance, logging 23 points and 16 rebounds. This marked her third-straight game with at least 20 points and a double-double. According to the Real App on X, this made her the first Dream player to do so.
Reese’s display at State Farm Arena was also her fourth such game in her last five outings for the Dream.
Reese’s consistency ahead of the game, which has been helping the franchise keep pace with the Fever and Liberty in the East, ensures the opposition focus remains on her. However, long before tipoff, the atmosphere in the arena already felt centered on Reese.
In honor of the collaboration between Mattel’s Barbie brand and Reese, as well as Small Business Night, the Dream hosted “Barbie Game Day.” The event featured State Farm Arena covered in pink decorations, as well as exclusive merchandise, including bags, headbands, and even pink Reese jerseys.
The broadcast even caught head coach Karl Smesko with a Barbie shirt while the team warmed up! Ahead of the game, he commented on the collaboration.
“Her brand is through the roof. I think it’s fantastic… For Angel, it’s a fantastic partnership with Barbie,” said Smesko to Brandon ‘ScoopB’ Robinson.
The idea of the collaboration first appeared when Reese was nicknamed ‘Bayou Barbie’ during her days at LSU, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied their request to trademark the nickname. Now, Mattel has chosen to honor her work with the Angel C Reese Foundation and celebrate her skill as a role model for “girls and underrepresented communities.”
The doll was revealed during All-Star Weekend in July, alongside a new pink colorway for her signature shoe with Reebok, the Angel Reese 1. The doll itself means a lot to Reese, who is now the second WNBA player to receive a signature doll with Barbie after Sue Bird. She spoke on the significance of the collaboration ahead of the game against the Aces, per a video posted to X by Meghan L. Hall of USA Today.
“Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of dolls because I didn’t have dolls that really looked like me much. That’s why I kind of really wanted to make sure this was super intentional because now that they have a doll that looks like you and nails and hair, but also you can be a killer on the court as well. So that was something that was important for me when getting the doll.”
Angel Reese’s mother had earlier spoken about the partnership with Mattel that would see her daughter become the first black player from the WNBA to get her own doll.
“Very cool,” said Reese’s mother. “It’s like… so surreal. And I’m proud. It’s overwhelming. I get the joy out of seeing other little girls, you know, enjoy seeing a Barbie doll that looks like them and they can play with. So, a very proud moment.”
Unfortunately for Reese, despite history being made both on and off the court, the game itself didn’t go the way she had hoped.
Jackie Young’s Triple-Double Overshadows Angel Reese’s Historic Night
As memorable as Barbie Night was for Reese in terms of individual accomplishments, the Aces made sure to spoil the night for the Dream. The defending champions put together perhaps the most outstanding offensive night of the season, knocking down 62% of their shots and more than half of their threes.
Las Vegas cruised to a 22-point win behind Jackie Young recording her third career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. She scored 19 points before halftime, 14 of which came in the second quarter that saw the Aces outscore the Dream 33-14. This included a 14-2 run to close out the half with a 17-point lead.
The Aces’ second quarter, which saw them not turn the ball over a single time and shoot 65% from the field, completely wiped out Atlanta. The Dream never made the game closer than 16 points after the break.
Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson added 23 points on 8-11 shooting, while NaLyssa Smith and Chelsea Gray combined to add 35 points to complete the most explosive offensive night of the season for the Aces.
This marks their highest score this season, with 109, matching their July 20 score against the Toronto Tempo.
Other than Reese, Atlanta saw Rhyne Howard add 19 points, but it was nowhere near enough, preventing Bayou Barbie from adding a feather to an otherwise outstanding Barbie Night effort.