Angel Reese’s debut with the Atlanta Dream wasn’t pretty, but she owned the hard parts, even when things didn’t go her way.
The Dream trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half, and just about anything that could go wrong offensively did. Atlanta shot just 36% from the floor. No player was in double figures, and the Dream had 13 glaring turnovers. Reese also struggled as Atlanta couldn’t find an early rhythm in the first half. The former LSU product couldn’t connect at the cup. By halftime, she was just 1-of-5 from the field with three points and nine rebounds. However, she never quit, and in the third quarter, she came alive.
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Reese showed off guard-like footwork and balance as she glided to the basket through multiple defenders for a quick score. Moments later, she was finishing at the rim, with a poise and confidence that she perhaps hadn’t shown before, and disrupting Minnesota‘s offense with her length and quick instincts. When the fourth quarter arrived, Reese made two critical layups with under seven minutes remaining that helped Atlanta eat into the Lynx’s lead and a game-saving block as time ran down that sealed the Dream’s 91-90 victory.
“It was tough for me, obviously, because I didn’t finish well tonight, and I was really hard on myself. But, I mean, this is what basketball is, and we talk about it all the time about next best action and being able to be ready for the next possession,” Reese said postgame.
“I knew I needed to come up for my teammates on the last possession and get that block … no matter what happened before that. So I just give kudos to my teammates for continuing to instill confidence in me. My rookie year, I probably would have just melted and not be able to fight back and be able to come out with that big block. So shoutout to my teammates.”
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Reese’s continued pursuit of getting better hasn’t gone unnoticed. In games, her decision-making and processing are making strides as she adjusts to the Dream’s system. Her finishes at the rim are not as crisp as they should be yet, but show an improvement just over a month into her Atlanta tenure.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko has heaped praise on Reese since she arrived. He says her fast integration into the team started with her practice habits and desire to be coached harder, which allowed the 24-year-old to come up clutch on Saturday.
“Angel’s been practicing great, and she came up big at the biggest moments. She had that late layup and offensive rebound, and then, she had the block to win it,” Smesko said.
“I do think at first she was just trying to feel her way around a little bit, maybe first game nerves with us, but then, just like she is, she’s a total competitor. When the game came to the end, and we needed a play, she made it. And (I’m) not surprised at all. She’s that type of person.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese Dream debut shows ongoing development, clutch impact
