Angel Reese’s Challenging Start with Atlanta Dream

Angel Reese began her WNBA career with the Chicago Sky. This offseason, she made a surprising move to the Atlanta Dream. Her performances in the initial games have been varied.

Debut Performance

In her first game with the Dream against the Minnesota Lynx, Reese scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting. She grabbed 14 rebounds and made three blocks. However, she also had five turnovers and five personal fouls.

Improvement in Second Game

Reese showed some progress in her second game. She improved her shooting to 4-of-8 from the floor and secured 16 rebounds. Atlanta won 77-72 against the Dallas Wings.

Home Debut Challenges

Sunday marked her home debut at State Farm Arena, celebrated with a sellout crowd. Reese was welcomed warmly in Atlanta, and made an impression by wearing a leather outfit described as having “Catwoman energy”.

In her matchup with A’ja Wilson, Reese was confident, stating, “She’s obviously a great player…but I know I’m a great player too.” Despite her confidence, she struggled with her performance.

Struggles on the Court

During the game, Reese made only one of eight field-goal attempts and missed her only three-point shot. She had eight turnovers and eight rebounds. Her +/- rating for the game was -13, as the Las Vegas Aces outscored the Dream by that margin with Reese playing. This season, the Dream has been outscored by 15 points with her on the court.

Atlanta’s head coach Karl Smesko decided to bench Reese as the Dream trailed by double digits. The team staged a comeback but narrowly lost 85-84 to the Aces.

Overall Performance

Through her first three games, Reese’s stats include 9-27 shooting and 0-2 from beyond the arc. She has committed 16 turnovers and 11 fouls. Despite the challenges, she has collected 38 rebounds, five blocks, and has performed well from the free throw line, making 14 out of 18 shots.

The Dream will face the Dallas Wings again, staying home at the Gateway Center Arena for that rematch on Friday night.