Angel Reese keeps proving Atlanta Dream made the right bet originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Five games into her Atlanta Dream career, Angel Reese is already influencing games in ways that go far beyond the box score. The Dream saw their two-game winning streak come to an end Thursday night with a hard-fought 91-86 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, but one sequence in the second half highlighted something that has become increasingly clear during Reese’s short time in Atlanta: head coach Karl Smesko trusts her.
Reese finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a steal in 27 minutes. While those numbers represented another solid all-around performance, the bigger story came when Smesko faced a critical decision after officials called Reese for a personal foul.
Rather than save his challenge for later in the game, Smesko listened to both his coaching staff and his player. The challenge was successful. The foul was overturned. After the game, Smesko explained just how difficult those decisions can be in real time.
“You trust your player,” Smesko said. “But it also has to be conclusive on video.”
That quote may not seem significant on the surface, but it reveals a growing relationship between coach and player. Challenges are valuable in the WNBA. Once a coach loses one, that opportunity is gone for the remainder of the game. Using it on a player requires confidence that the player is right.
Smesko believed Reese. And for the second straight game, Reese rewarded that faith. A similar situation occurred in Atlanta’s previous win over the Phoenix Mercury. Reese strongly disagreed with a foul call, the Dream challenged it, and officials overturned the decision. In both cases, Reese’s instincts proved correct.
Reese’s impact goes beyond scoring
The stat sheet shows Reese averaging strong production since arriving in Atlanta, but her value has extended beyond points and rebounds. She has quickly become one of the emotional leaders of the Dream despite joining the franchise only weeks ago. Her energy, communication and defensive presence have helped Atlanta become one of the more intriguing teams in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference race.
Against Minnesota, Reese contributed in nearly every category despite facing one of the league’s toughest opponents on the road. The Lynx entered the game as one of the WNBA’s most complete teams, making Atlanta’s competitive performance notable even in defeat.
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Trust is becoming a theme in Atlanta
Perhaps the most important takeaway from Thursday’s game wasn’t the final score. It was the fact that Smesko again trusted Reese in a crucial moment.
The Dream made a franchise-altering decision when they acquired Reese, believing she could become one of the faces of the organization. Early returns suggest that confidence was well placed. Players earn trust through preparation, effort and consistency. Reese appears to be checking all three boxes.
The Dream may have left Minneapolis without a victory, but they left with further proof that Reese is becoming exactly the type of player Atlanta hoped she would be when the organization made its blockbuster move. And if the last two games are any indication, when Angel Reese insists she’s right, the Dream coaching staff is going to keep listening.
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