Angel Reese Was the ‘Perfect Piece’ to Fuel Dream’s Rise to Championship Contention
The Atlanta Dream had a very talented roster last season and won a franchise-high 30 games. But when the playoffs came around, they flamed out in the first round for the third year in a row, falling well short of their goals of championship contention. This season, the odds were stacked against them, too. Brionna Jones only played nine regular-season games, and Allisha Gray injured her hand in Game 1 of the semifinals against the New York Liberty.
And yet, the Dream swept the Liberty and will play in the finals for the first time since 2013. Many players deserve a lot of credit for what they have done this postseason. DeWanna Bonner joined the team late in the season and immediately stepped up as a leader on and off the court. Jordin Canada scored at least 19 points in four of the five playoff games and just recorded a double-double with 11 assists and 0 turnovers. Moreover, Rhyne Howard has found ways to impact games despite some shooting struggles, and Isobel Borlase was ready for the moment when Gray’s injury pushed her into a bigger role.
Ultimately, the piece that helped get the Dream over the hump was Angel Reese. Jones’s injury made Reese an invaluable offseason addition, but she has done more than just fill in for the injured All-Star. She has played like a star in her own right, scoring with improved efficiency, battling on the glass, and earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
In the postgame media availability, Karl Smesko shared that his goals after last season’s playoff disappointment had been to improve at creating extra possessions and maximizing defense. Reese helped make those goals a reality.
“We added the perfect piece to really bring that plan to life, and Angel has been everything that we could’ve hoped for,” Smesko said, per a video on the WNBA’s YouTube channel.
Angel Reese has been great in her first playoff run
Reese had to endure two disappointing seasons with the Chicago Sky before getting a chance to prove her value in the playoffs. She has been up to the challenge so far.
Reese averaged 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.2 blocks over her first five playoff games. She scored pretty efficiently, too, shooting at least 50% from the field in three games and knocking down five of her 13 3-pointers. She recorded two 20-point games to help the Dream close out the Liberty with their leading scorer from the regular season sidelined. Her 15 offensive rebounds over three games and a high IQ decision to seal Game 2 were also invaluable.
Reese has a chance to become the first of the new wave of young WNBA superstars to win a title. The Dream will face the Golden State Valkyries and the best defense in the WNBA after the expansion team swept the reigning champions.
The Dream lost all three regular-season games against the Valkyries, and Reese did not play her best. She shot below 40% from the field in two of the three games. Those games were relatively early in the season. Reese’s scoring has improved notably since then, and she should have all the confidence in the world going into the finals. However, Kiah Stokes is no easy defender to score against. She even bothered A’ja Wilson in the semifinals.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.