Last fall, Angel Reese was in suburban Chicago, suspended for half a game for what Sky considered “damaging statements against the team” after criticizing Sky management and roster construction in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
In April, she was traded to the Atlanta Dream, joining an already elite team that had failed in the playoffs several years in a row.
And on Wednesday night, 13 months after that initial controversy on Sky, Reese’s play sent a resounding message to the world: Dream’s decision to trade for her could end up being one of the great trades of the modern WNBA.
To acquire the two-time All-Star, the Dream gave up his 2027 and 2028 first-round picks. Most in basketball concluded it was a good move for Atlanta, but few simply anticipated how Hard-hitting Reese would be there.
Last week, she was named the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year after putting together a fascinating defensive season.
To close out the year, she was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week three weeks in a row.
This all came to a head Wednesday night against the Liberty
In a massive Game 2 semifinal win over the New York Liberty, Reese, as she tends to be, was everywhere. She posted a team-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Unsurprisingly, she finished with the best plus-minus of any player in the game, a +11.
Reese managed to make an impact on almost every possession of the game, breathing life into her teammates the entire time. (No box score stat effectively captures Reese’s motor and energy on the floor; just watch the games).
There were several times where her simple presence on the glass allowed her teammates to easily secure a board. There were other times when his quick hands changed the defensive momentum; For example, late in overtime, Reese got his hands on a Jonquel Jones drive, creating an improbable jump situation that turned into an inexplicable turnover by Sabrina Ionescu.
Battling against two of the game’s most fearsome post players, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, Reese finished with 5 offensive rebounds – as many as Liberty’s entire team – and powered a massive run in the second quarter, hitting a three-pointer and converting an and-one layup in a matter of seconds.
“You just have to be fearless in it,” Reese told ESPN’s Holly Rowe during her finale interview.
Then there was the clutch-time heroics: Reese, the worst free-throw shooter in Atlanta’s rotation, was intentionally fouled late in regulation and overtime.
But, despite the enormity of the moment, Reese calmly walked to the line each time and made both free throws in clutch time, giving the Dream a three-point lead both late in regulation and at the end of overtime. More striking than his body language was his body language: clearly not afraid of the moment.
Afterward, she said her confidence at the line came from her work ethic.
“Trust my work,” Reese said, explaining that she challenges herself to make 10 consecutive free throws after every practice. “It doesn’t matter what time it is.”
In addition to the decisive free throws, Reese made a layup with 44 seconds left in overtime, thanks to an assist from Naz Hillmon. That shot gave the Dream a one-point lead; a Hillmon layup with 21 seconds left restored it for good.
Angel Reese powered an incredible Dream effort
In the 101-98 victory, the Dreams were without Allisha Gray, their leading and most efficient scorer, who injured her hand in the first game of the semifinals. (They were also without center Brionna Jones, as they have been most of the year).
For the second consecutive match, her Dream teammates intervened in her absence. Jordin Canada, who averaged 11.6 points during the regular season, exploded with 23 points and 8 assists. Isabel Borlase, averaging 4.8 points, scored 11 points.
“You have to do this for your sisters,” Reese told Rowe. “Do it for the person next to you.”
The Dream are in an excellent position; they lead 2-0 in the best-of-five semifinals, one win away from the WNBA Finals.
No team in WNBA history has ever come back from an 0-2 deficit, and while the Liberty are experienced and talented, they face an extremely difficult climb.
Angel Reese made sure of that. And as the Dream’s playoff run continues, the decision to trade for Reese looks more and more like a generational move.
Gn sports
