Karl Smesko Teases Angel Reese Evolution With ‘New Shot’ Promise
Angel Reese is one of the best rebounders in the WNBA, a very capable defender, and a persistent inside scorer (although not always with the greatest efficiency). Naz Hillmon fit a very similar archetype—just not at an All-Star level—before Karl Smesko’s first season with the Atlanta Dream. After three years of not taking 3-pointers, Hillmon had a career year from behind the arc, knocking down 32.1% of her 3.8 attempts per game.
So, when Angel Reese was traded to the Dream, it immediately sparked visions of her following Hillmon’s trajectory and becoming a more consistent 3-point threat.
Reese has only made one 3-pointer so far this season—a corner three in a 91-75 win over the Connecticut Sun in which she reached the 1000-point mark—but Karl Smesko is optimistic that her outside shot will be a bigger factor soon, as they are working to improve her release.
“She’s been really open to kind of changing her shot, and it’s shown up in practice, and she’s gotten hot, made three or four in a row in practice, but in the game, we haven’t had those same releases that we’ve had in practice, but today that one looked like a good one,” Smesko said in the postgame media availability. “So, hopefully going forward, as she gets more comfortable with the new shot, she’ll feel more comfortable with it, and it’ll show up in games more.”
A reliable 3-point shot could take Reese’s Dream stint to the next level
Right now, Reese helps the Dream most by being a defensive presence in the paint, pulling down offensive rebounds, getting a few buckets around the rim, and setting up the many 3-point threats around her. Unlike in Chicago, she doesn’t have to do everything from scoring to rebounding to playmaking and can just play a more traditional center role.
That will change once Brionna Jones is back, however. Jones had knee surgery this offseason after suffering an injury while playing in Europe, and there’s no date for her return yet. When she returns and is ready to give the Dream 100%, Reese will move to the power forward and play with less space than when she shares the frontcourt with Hillmon.
Reese is much more versatile than Brittney Griner at this point in her career, but she doesn’t space the floor more, and that lack of spacing caused Smesko to abandon his two-center lineup last season. If Reese can take a leap as a 3-point shooter, it would make her fit next to Jones and Madina Okot much smoother.
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.