Angel Reese is certainly having a time with the Atlanta Dream. Reese, who was traded to the team early during free agency this year, is only a few games into her third season in the WNBA, but she's making every single minute she's on the court count.
Reese, who is known for her rebounding prowess, is already averaging a double-double this season with 14.0 points and 12.9 rebounds. It won't be a surprise if she keeps that up all season-long — and it won't be a surprise if those numbers continue to rise.
If Tuesday's match against the Dallas Wings is any indication, Reese is enjoying herself with the Dream and fully embracing the opporunities in front of her. One of those is establishing her identity for fans and for her teammates, something she's never struggled to do in the past. She had no problem encouraging disgruntled Wings fans to keep booing her, often celebrating big moments for the Dream with "too small" gestures towards Wings players.
The game was a far cry from her debut for the team. Despite also hitting a double-double during that game, Reese admitted she wasn't entirely happy with elements of her game and promised she'd do better. With Tuesday's game, she proved that and more.
Angel Reese is ready to step up for the Atlanta Dream
The move to Atlanta is giving Reese a second life of sorts in the WNBA, something that doesn't always happen and that she's poised to take full advantage of. The team and fanbase has embraced her, and in all the ways that matter, it seems like Reese is at the right place at the right time.
She's also being celebrated by her teammates. Allisha Gray told reporters Reese is "such a positive person" following Tuesday's win, and that she's emerged as a leader who can keep the team focused no matter what is going on around them. That's a big deal for a player who is still young and finding her own way — and who is playing on a team with plenty of established veterans.
The Atlanta Dream will next play the Las Vegas Aces, who are a consistently (and constantly) formidable foe. The game is the first meeting between the two teams since free agency meant they both added players and lost a few, but their cores remain largely the same. This is also Karl Smesko's second year in the league, something that may make the Dream even more powerful than they already were.
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