Why Angel Reese and Atlanta Dream Frontcourt Have Logjam to Figure Out
The Atlanta Dream roster is loaded with talent. However, only one player can shoot the ball at a time, and having a lot of talent means there are many mouths to feed on offense. Angel Reese and her teammates appear to be learning this the hard way right now, and it's only going to get tougher once All-Star center Brionna Jones makes her debut after missing the start of the season with a knee injury.
Atlanta fell to 6-3 after their 83-71 defeat to the Indiana Fever on June 4. Angel Reese finished the game with 11 points on 4 of 9 shooting from the field, which is more or less in line with her 12.8 points per game average to this point in the season.
However, many who watched Atlanta on Thursday night and have been following them throughout the season likely recognized something similar: Despite their offensive firepower, the Dream seemingly haven't found their flow, at least not for an entire 40 minutes.
Atlanta's 83.2 points per game is ninth-best in the league right now. This roster is certainly not ninth when it comes to talent.
And that will become even more true once Bri Jones gets back. However, adding another offensive presence doesn't appear to be necessarily what Atlanta needs, given that they're already struggling to find their proper scoring balance.
Madina Okot's Emergence Adds Another Layer to Dream Frontcourt Situation
While Jones has been sidelined, rookie forward Madina Okot has been an impact player for Atlanta, including scoring 7 points in just 9 minutes against the Fever while playing very solid defense.
Okot has earned herself more playing opportunities, and head coach Karl Smesko spoke her praises when addressing the media after Thursday night's loss.
— eleanor. (@e__gsa) June 5, 2026
Okot's performance and Jones' eventual return (there's still no timetable for when she'll get back to action, as she still hasn't been cleared to play five-on-five) also highlight another issue: none of these three frontcourt presences are able to space the floor with shooting.
Reese, Jones, and Okot haven't shown enough as shooters to truly earn teams' respect from range, which means that opponents can pack the paint. Not only does this create a logjam for the Dream's frontcourt, but also makes less space for guards Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard to drive, which is a key part of them unlocking their offensive potential.
Ultimately, the Dream's offense is going to be fine, there's plenty of time to figure things out, and having many mouths to feed isn't a bad problem to have. But they could use Jones coming back soon, if only so that gives them moer time to find their offensive flow and rotations with their full complement of players.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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