EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsATLANTA -- Angel Reese stood still with her eyes closed for a moment before letting loose an expletive that could have summed up Sunday afternoon for the Atlanta Dream.The team was two point-blank misses as time expired from defeating the Indiana Fever in regulation, drawing Reese's ire. Five more minutes of overtime gave the Fever a 95-91 win in a game with playoff implications that certainly felt like a postseason environment inside State Farm Arena.The Fever's victory split the season series between the teams 2-2 as they sit in the No. 4 and No. 5 playoff slots. A fourth win in a row gave Indiana (23-12) a whiff of breathing room as they took a 1-game lead over the Dream (21-13) in the standings, and they're now a half game back of the Las Vegas Aces (24-12). The Minnesota Lynx and Aces are the only two teams that have clinched a playoff spot as the regular season winds down.The game was held inside the home of the Atlanta Hawks to accommodate a raucous crowd made up of dueling fan bases that are passionate about their young stars in Caitlin Clark and Reese."We're all aware of the standings and the seedings," Clark said. "So, this was a really important one for us to come in and get, and that's kind of like the story of this whole road trip. This is the last matchup with a lot of these teams that we have and a lot of these teams are really good and possible teams we'll maybe see in the playoffs. ... Coming into each night, we know how important that win is to hopefully get home court advantage in the playoffs."[Coach] Steph [White] made a great point in the locker room after the game. This felt like a playoff game with the little adjustments you're making."The Fever upset the Dream 2-1 in the playoffs last season before Atlanta went out and bolstered their roster with Reese. But Indiana starkly remembers losing Game 5 in overtime on the road in the semifinal to the Aces.A loss Sunday would have given the Dream the head-to-head tiebreak in case its needed for playoff eligibility and homecourt advantage. There are 10 games left for the Dream and nine for the Fever."We know, especially from a year ago, how important home court is," White said. "And we know that every game is important. We can't look too far ahead. We certainly don't want to trip on anything that's behind us."We've got to be in this moment and we have to understand the urgency of the moment. ... We certainly don't shy away from talking about it."The Dream led by 10 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter before the Fever chipped away at the lead. Still, with the game tied at 81, both Reese and Naz Hillmon grabbed offensive rebounds in the final five seconds, but missed the putbacks. Aliyah Boston (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Makayla Timpson (career-high 20 points) combined for 10 of Indiana's 14-overtime points to put Atlanta away."Our players are aware that the teams are separated by very thin margins and there's only so many games left," Dream coach Karl Smesko said. "So, on any particular day, a win can move you up a couple spots or move you down three spots if you lose."Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 for her 19th straight game of 20-plus point and Clark had her 23rd career game with 25-plus point and five-plus assists to move into No. 5 in league history. She finished with 26 points and nine rebounds.Allisha Gray matched a career-high 32 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. Reese (15 points, 14 rebounds, six assists) had her 23rd double-double of the season and is six shy of breaking Alyssa Thomas' 2023 WNBA record. Barring a dramatic fall from the playoffs in this final stretch, Reese will be in the playoffs for the first time after playing in Chicago her first two seasons."Obviously, we're not there in the playoffs yet, but [we] want to get past the first round," Reese said. "So, just being able have those things in the back of my mind. Obviously, trying to stay in the moment, but also think about those things. Nothing is solidified until it is."I'm sure it's going to come down to standings and wins and maybe points, stuff like that. So just kind of keeping that in mind."Sunday was the first of a final multigame road trip for the Fever as they now head to Toronto, Dallas, New York and Chicago. Five of their final nine games are against teams currently in the playoffs.Atlanta will now start their longest remaining road trip with games in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and back to Los Angeles. Four of their final 10 opponents are currently in the postseason.
