ATLANTA — Angel Reese was surrounded by the love — and the expertise — throughout her first information convention with the Atlanta Dream that she felt was lacking in her two years in Chicago.
The Dream acquired Reese from the Sky on April 6. Chicago obtained first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028. Atlanta additionally acquired the proper to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.
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One of many WNBA’s most recognizable stars, Reese led the league in rebounds in every of her two seasons with the Sky.
“I am at all times going to be pleased about that as a result of I did expertise quite a lot of nice issues,” Reese stated Friday of her time in Chicago. “I loved with the ability to develop inside my first two years, however I needed extra. I like to win, I like to compete and I needed to be surrounded by folks that may make me higher.
“And I’m not happy with what I’m as a participant, and I felt like being round these sorts of gamers would assist me be higher. I might help them in several methods to assist them win, and that is all I ever needed. I do not care about the rest that comes with it. I need to win and with the ability to come to a corporation that basically cared about their gamers.”
Reese was joined on the information convention by the 5 gamers Atlanta has re-signed this offseason. Guard Rhyne Howard stated Reese, a two-time All-Star ahead, might assist Atlanta win a championship.
“Angel, I believe is particular for us as a result of she may very well be precisely what we have been lacking,” Howard stated.
Reese averaged 14.7 factors and a league-best 12.6 rebounds final season. She joins a crew that received a franchise-record 30 video games final season below coach Karl Smesko earlier than dropping to Indiana within the playoffs.
Atlanta additionally re-signed Allisha Grey, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon.
Grey completed fourth in MVP voting final season. Howard grew to become the quickest participant in WNBA historical past to make 300 3-pointers. Hillmon was named Sixth Participant of the 12 months, and Jones was an All-Star.
The commerce to Atlanta got here after Reese expressed frustration late final season, with Chicago on the best way to a 10-34 end. She informed the Chicago Tribune the Sky wanted to enhance their roster and added she “may need to maneuver in a unique path and do what’s finest for me” if that did not occur. She later apologized to the crew for the feedback.
The Sky suspended Reese for half a recreation for feedback deemed “detrimental to the crew.” The crew held her out for its remaining three video games with a again harm, elevating hypothesis about her future in Chicago.
Reese stated the curiosity from the Dream “was mutual on either side and I used to be ready to decide on a vacation spot I actually needed to go to.”
Common supervisor Dan Padover stated including Reese capped a profitable offseason.
“Once we went into this offseason, we had two important priorities,” Padover stated. “That was retain our core. And to stay opportunistic. And during the last week, I am thrilled to say we did each. Maintaining these gamers in Atlanta was simply so necessary to us. And essentially the most particular factor is that they need to keep right here.
“After which to have somebody like Angel are available in and say, ‘Hey guys, I really like what you are doing. I really like that metropolis. Let me leap in right here.’ And to have this entire group in addition to the others which can be right here at the moment come collectively to attempt to construct one thing and win a championship. That is what sports activities is all about.”