Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko stated Sunday that newly acquired ahead Angel Reese will “slot in nice” and that he seems to be ahead to working with the third-year WNBA professional as she continues to develop her sport.
Reese, whom the Dream obtained Monday from the Chicago Sky for 2027 and 2028 first-round draft picks, already has proved her elite rebounding, averaging 12.9 boards per sport over her first two seasons to steer the WNBA. Final yr, she averaged 14.7 factors and 12.6 rebounds per sport.
For her profession, she has shot 42.1% from the sphere, a quantity she seems to be to enhance. Smesko was requested particularly about working with Reese on that.
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“A part of the teaching employees’s duty is creating gamers,” Smesko stated on a media video name with Dream normal supervisor Dan Padover. “When Angel is available in, we’ll sit down and discuss and provide you with a plan collectively. You need one thing that the participant’s concerned in, in order that they perceive what we’re attempting to get achieved. They may also help you formulate a very good plan for their very own growth should you hearken to them.”
The Dream have maintained the core of their 2025 workforce, together with Olympians Allisha Grey and Rhyne Howard. Final season, Smesko’s first within the WNBA after a prolonged school teaching profession, the Dream completed tied for second at 30-14 and misplaced to the Indiana Fever within the first spherical. They improved their scoring common to 84.4 factors per sport from 77.0 in 2024.
Reese was the No. 7 draft choose in 2024 by Chicago out of LSU. Late final season, she spoke to the Chicago Tribune about her concern with the Sky’s total expertise degree, telling the newspaper she “may need to maneuver in a unique route and do what’s finest for me” if the workforce did not enhance. Chicago completed 10-34 and tied for final place with the Dallas Wings.
“I am not settling for a similar s— we did this yr,” Reese advised the Tribune. “We have now to get good gamers. We have now to get nice gamers. That is a non-negotiable for me. I am prepared and eager to play with one of the best. And nevertheless I may also help to get one of the best right here, that is what I am going to do that offseason.”
Padover was requested if Reese’s feedback have been a priority from a workforce chemistry standpoint. He stated they weren’t.
“We at all times look ahead,” Padover stated. “To get a chance to deliver a participant of Angel’s expertise in, and somebody that our gamers deeply respect, for us, it was a no brainer.”
Smesko stated he sees Reese as a useful addition to serving to the Dream enhance.
“She makes us extra versatile on offense,” he stated. “She’s going to get us further possessions [with her rebounding]. We’re going to have the ability to get out and run, so all of the issues we actually love to do. That is going to make us even higher at it.”