Angel Reese was going to be the face of the Atlanta Dream's failure in Game 2. There would be a long line of people sharing their opinions everywhere from social media to talk radio, ecstatic to be able to point out a flaw in Reese.
Reese didn't give them the chance. She was clutch throughout the overtime period of Game 2 and ensured that the Dream would walk away with the 101-98 victory. Now her defensive lapse can fade into the past.
Reese made a terrible defensive play
With only a handful of seconds remaining, the New York Liberty ran a play to spring rookie Marine Fauthoux free for a 3-pointer. The Atlanta Dream, up three points, had a clear assignment: do not give up a 3-pointer.
New York's All-Star center, Jonquel Jones, set a hard screen on Rhyne Howard, one of the best wing defenders in the WNBA. That kept Howard from sticking with Fouthoux, who was sprinting toward the 3-point line. Angel Reese, who was originally defending Jones, just stood in place and watched what was happening.
Perhaps on a random midgame possession, Reese's lack of movement could be justifiable. She could be playing a conservative drop coverage and thus doing the right thing by letting her shoot and instead staying near the paint and getting leverage for a rebound.
In this scenario, however, it was a massive blunder. The last thing that Reese and the Dream could do was give up an open 3-pointer, and yet Reese just watched, calm as could be, as Fauthoux launched a completely wide-open 3-pointer to tie the game and force overtime.
Reese redeemed herself
If the Liberty had gone on to win Game 2 in overtime, plenty of attention would have been on Reese and her defensive lapse. Instead, however, the Dream pulled out the win - in large part thanks to Reese.
Reese scored 6 points in overtime, two close-range baskets and a pair of extremely clutch free throws. The free throws came with 4.3 seconds remaining, after Reese made the heads-up play and ran into the backcourt to receive the ball and burn a couple of seconds off the clock. Considering that the Liberty got a terrible final shot, those two seconds were critical.
In the regular season, Reese shot a below-average 72.1 percent from the free-throw line. In Game 2, she knocked down all six of her free throws, including the game-clinching pair in the last five minutes. For a player known for her defense, it was her offense that came through when it mattered. In all, Reese scored 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting and 6-for-6 from the striple.
Reese is arguably the Dream's best player, and they are now only one game away from the WNBA Finals. Her star is rising, and Game 2 could have been a bump in that road after her inexplicable mistake. Thankfully, that mistake only meant overtime, and she and the Dream wrenched the victory back into their own hands.
Breanna Stewart and the Liberty will not go down without a fight. If the Dream are going to pull off the win, they must continue to find new ways to slow her down. And that will mean Reese staying locked in for each and every play - especially on defense.
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