Karl Smesko’s ‘Biggest Jump’ Take on Angel Reese Should Worry the Rest of the WNBA
Being traded to the Atlanta Dream already looks like the best thing that could have happened to Angel Reese for her WNBA career. She is finally helping a team win and is playing her best basketball yet.
Reese recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in a 106-81 win against the Chicago Sky. It marked her eighth consecutive double-double, and her fifth 20-point game in a ten-game stretch. Reese also continued her hot shooting that started after a devastating overtime loss to the Indiana Fever. She shot almost 70% from the field—the fifth time since that loss that she’s shot 50% from the field—and knocked down one of her two 3-point attempts.
Shooting efficiency in the paint was Reese’s biggest weakness over her first two seasons. She has notably improved in that area, shooting 58.9% from the field over her last eight games while maintaining her impact as a defender and rebounder. Dream head coach Karl Smesko is confident that this is just the beginning for Reese.
“I thought she would have a huge impact, but I think she’s been even better,” Smesko said about Reese, per a video on the Dream’s YouTube channel. “Especially I think everybody can see the growth that she’s had from the beginning of the season to the end of the season where she’s at right now. And I’ve told her that I’m really proud of the improvement that she’s made this year.”
He continued, “And I’ll go on record. I think her biggest jump is going to be between the end of this year and next year when there’s one more offseason and she gets to play in the same system.”
Reese is already an All-Star-level player, and the Dream are incredibly difficult to beat when she’s playing well. If Reese does indeed take another leap before next season, she could make the Dream a legitimate championship contender and a constant nightmare to play.
Consistency should help Reese reach another level
Reese has always been a good player. Even when she was missing a ton of shots around the rim, she was defending at a high level, rebounding like no one else, and initiating offense for the Sky.
In Chicago, there were a few issues that hampered her. For one, they were asking her to do too much. Reese is a star, but she isn’t ready to be the do-it-all number-one option on a team right now. In Atlanta, she has a simpler role, and it has in no way impacted her individual success. She can share the spotlight with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray and still be a star in her own right.
Secondly, the Sky had two different head coaches in the two seasons that Reese was there. It will be much easier for her to prepare for her fourth season knowing that she will return to the same system, the same coach, and the same co-stars in Atlanta next year. The Dream’s top six players are all under contract for next season.
So, Smesko’s prediction that Reese will be even better next season is entirely reasonable, which is good news for the Dream and bad news for everyone who will have to play her.
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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.