For Angel Reese, Sunday’s game against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to prove herself in front of the Atlanta Dream fans. Reese didn’t shy away from raising the stakes either, chiming in on comparisons with A’ja Wilson ahead of her first home game in Atlanta. In fact, even Dream head coach Karl Smesko added fuel to the narrative before tip-off. But once reality set in, those comparisons simply failed to materialize.
Speaking in the pre-game presser, Angel Reese was asked about her mindset heading into a matchup against a player like A’ja Wilson. In reply, the Dream forward said, “She’s obviously a great player. She’s an MVP for a reason. But I know I’m a great player too, and I can guard her well.”
Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko also echoed a similar sentiment. “[Angel Reese is] gonna be somebody that people are talking about for MVP sometime very soon.” The shelf life of these MVP call-outs was short, though. By the time the game finished in the afternoon, the Dream Head Coach had his reality check.
For Angel Reese, her home debut quickly turned into a nightmare. The Atlanta star was held to just nine points and eight rebounds. To make matters worse, her shooting struggles were impossible to ignore, as Reese converted only one of her eight attempts from the field. And if that wasn’t enough, she also turned the ball over a season-high eight times during the game.
It’s an exceedingly high number for a player who isn’t the playmaker or the team’s primary ball handler. In fact, 6 of these turnovers came in a single half for Reese. They subsequently accounted for over 50% of the team’s total turnovers (13) in the game, underscoring her shaky performance.
Basketball analyst Robin Lundberg highlighted Reese’s outing perfectly. “How did Angel Reese have 6 turnovers in a half?” Even Mick Curley from Mick Talks Hoops also shared his perspective regarding this performance while speaking on his YouTube channel. “This might be the worst game of Angel Reese’s career,” he said. “An absolute disaster.”
What made it even more surprising was that Angel Reese actually looked ready for the moment early on. The Bayou Barbie landed the first punch by sending A’ja Wilson flying on a pump fake beyond the arc before setting up Madina Okot for an easy bucket. But that ended up being one of the few moments Reese got the better of Wilson all game long.
The Dream were without key stars Brionna Jones and Rhyne Howard, and their absence was clearly felt throughout the night. The Las Vegas Aces dominated the opening three quarters and at one point built a commanding 19-point lead. But despite the odds stacked against them, the Dream never stopped fighting.
They responded with a stunning 16-0 run to cut the deficit down to just one point and even grabbed the lead with 36 seconds remaining, with Reese benched during crunch time. Allisha Gray led the charge with a team-high 25 points, while Madina Okot, Jordin Canada, and Te-Hina Paopao also finished in double figures. But in the end, it simply wasn’t meant to be. All they needed was an extra spark from Reese, which unfortunately wasn’t meant to happen, despite bold and confident claims from her and Dream’s head coach, Karl Smesko, before the clash.
The Las Vegas Aces, on the other hand, rode high on A’ja Wilson’s shoulders. Last year’s MVP scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks to continue her scoring spree this season. Chelsea Gray chimed in well, dropping 21 on Atlanta. Chennedy Carter contributed with 20 from the bench as the Aces clinched the win by a single point, courtesy of Gray’s two-pointer in the final seconds of the game.
Yet despite his team’s defeat, Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko is quite confident in Angel Reese’s ceiling.
Karl Smesko Outlines His Expectations for Angel Reese in Atlanta
Angel Reese’s situation with the Atlanta Dream hasn’t been like this for long. In her first two games for her new team against Minnesota and Dallas, Reese had impressed immediately with back-to-back double-doubles. As a result, Karl Smesko has high expectations for Reese, despite her cold outing against the Aces.
“I expect her to be a big impact player,” Smesko said. “What I see every day, or what I get to see every day is somebody who’s working really hard in practice, who wants to learn, who’s asking for extra film. She has the athletic tools to be one of the best players. And she’s motivated to be one of the best players.”
Furthermore, in the conversation, Smesko hinted that Reese’s performance will improve as she gets the hang of Dream’s playing style. “I think through the course of the season, you’ll get to see her be more comfortable with our style of play,” Smesko added.
The Bayou Barbie is yet to publicly comment on the game, but considering her overall skill set, this outing against the Las Vegas Aces feels more like a one-off than a sign of things to come. And if there’s one thing Reese has consistently shown throughout her career, it’s the ability to bounce back whenever doubts begin to surround her game.
Last season, after just six games, Reese faced intense criticism over her shooting struggles. Out of her 61 field-goal attempts, 44 came from the restricted area. Yet despite getting so many looks close to the basket, she was shooting just 31.8% there, according to CBS Sports. That’s not all!
While she led the league with 7.3 attempts per game from that zone, her efficiency ranked last among the top 10 players attempting at least five shots there. But as she has done throughout her career, the Chicago Sky forward eventually found a way to turn things around.
She improved dramatically, raising her shooting in the restricted area from just 37.5% to an eye-popping 56.5%. Reese also boosted her overall field-goal percentage from 39.1% in her rookie season to 45.8% last year. And her return to form will be extremely important for the Atlanta Dream, especially considering the way their roster is constructed.
Angel Reese provides Smesko’s team with that frontcourt dominance and helps them secure loose balls. Thus, an off-night for her means that most of the team’s output has to be shouldered by their veteran players like Allisha Gray.
The good news for Reese and the Atlanta Dream is that they have a few days off to reconcile their tactics and plans. Their next game is on May 22 against the Dallas Wings at the Gateway Center.
