Following a disappointing outing against the Las Vegas Aces, Angel Reese bounced back in style on Friday. The ChiBarbie put together an All-Star-worthy performance against the Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings, powering the Atlanta Dream to a dominant 86-69 win.

To make the night even more special, Angel Reese also had her loved ones in attendance, including her mother, Angel Webb Reese, and several other family members cheering from the sidelines at Gateway Center. Following the win, Reese immediately walked over to them for hugs, showing her appreciation for their constant support.

The league’s X handle shared a glimpse of it with a brief caption: “You are who you surround yourself with 🫶 Angel Reese greets her support system after securing the dub at home in Atlanta!”

Reese’s mother has been a cornerstone of the Atlanta forward’s basketball journey. As a former basketball player herself, she takes a keen interest in her daughter’s career. She also travels on the road on occasion to watch Reese’s away games. So having her and several other family members at Gateway Center on Friday made the night even more meaningful for Reese.

The two-time WNBA All-Star recorded a season-high 15 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting night. She looked far more comfortable offensively, especially compared to her previous outing against the Aces, where she managed just one field goal.

Although she fell just short of a double-double with nine rebounds, it still didn’t stop her from creating a bit of history in one of her strongest performances of the season. As per Polymarket, after her 9 rebounds on Friday, Reese has surpassed nearly 87.3% of all-time players in the league in the stat.

It’s an incredible feat considering Reese has been in the league for only three years. She already has over 860 rebounds to her name, and if she keeps progressing at this rate, there’s a real possibility she could eventually finish her career as the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder. But the Bayou Barbie isn’t here just to chase individual records.

Ahead of the game, she made it crystal clear that she chose to join the Atlanta Dream to compete for championships. “I was just seeing how the player development was for (Karl Smesko) and how he developed Naz (Hillmon) in one year and how I wanted that … I wanna win a WNBA championship no matter what it looks like for me,” she said.

Being surrounded by elite teammates was one of Angel Reese’s biggest priorities when she made the move from Chicago, and nights like this proved that the Dream are certainly not short on talent.

Against the Wings, Angel Reese was well complemented by veteran teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Howard led the night for the Atlanta Dream with 25 points, while Gray dropped 16. Atlanta’s offense really made a mark.

Reese’s team moved the ball better (22 assists) and even had a better shooting night (55%) than the Wings. But for her, there was a completely different aspect of the game that turned heads for her.

Angel Reese Lauds Atlanta’s Defense After Second Win Over Dallas Wings This Season

Holding off a team like the Dallas Wings to just 69 points is not easy. For a team that has Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Odyssey Sims, and Azzi Fudd, you’d expect much better than that. But the Atlanta Dream just wouldn’t let the Wings take control of the game.

The Dream was spot-on right after the tipoff, allowing the Wings to score just 9 points in the first quarter. They also defended the half-court pretty well, allowing just 25% from beyond the arc. Atlanta doubled down on Bueckers, who could score only 7 points on the night.

“We emphasize a lot on defense,” Reese said after the game. “Karl also talked about how the team looked last year when the first 38 minutes we were the best team in the league, and for the last two minutes we were last.

“So, we wanted to make sure that we emphasized 40 minutes of good defense and continuing that. It was a little rocky because of the offensive rebounds they were able to get. But we took pride on that, coming out in the second half, and we dominated well.”

Angel Reese contributed well to her team’s defensive setup in the game. The Atlanta center handled the loose balls efficiently while protecting the rim, recording 6 defensive rebounds on the night.

But the Dallas Wings also exposed a particular weakness of Reese.

In the last game against Las Vegas, she gave away eight turnovers. The Bayou Barbie struggled immensely with ball security, but given her skill set, it was considered to be a one-off night. But after another five-turnover game against the Wings, it suddenly feels like this could turn into a worrying pattern for her.

It’s a high number for a player who isn’t the primary ball handler for her team. It’s something that Angel Reese will have to take special note of going into the season. Reese and the Atlanta Dream will next host the Phoenix Mercury on May 24 at the Gateway Center.