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Angel Reese could be 'missing piece' for Atlanta Dream WNBA championship hopes

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko05/02/26nickkosko59

Angel Reese might end up being the reason why the Atlanta Dream win a WNBA championship in 2026. Star Allisha Gray said as much about her new teammate.

Atlanta acquired Reese this offseason in a trade with the Chicago Sky in exchange for two future first round draft picks. Reese played two seasons with Chicago after being drafted No. 7 overall in 2024. But as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews put it, it seemed like it was a rocky relationship.

But a fresh start could lead to some big things for Reese. With a lineup featuring her, Gray, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada and Naz Hamilton, Atlanta is a team to keep an eye on.

“I do believe that Angel is the missing piece that we need to take us over the top,” Gray said, via ESPN. Reese is already a two-time WNBA All-Star and two-time rebounding leader.

If anything, Reese feels right at home too. The former LSU standout and national champ might really hit her groove in Year 3 as a pro.

“How could you not be happy here?” Reese said. “It just feels great. I always wanted to come to Atlanta. When you think of championship culture, playing next to these players, the coach [we have], it just made sense. … I didn’t care about anything else but being here.”

Atlanta fell to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs last season. Now that both teams re-signed their cores and look to get healthy, maybe Reese squares off with college rival Caitlin Clark in the postseason once again. Head coach Karl Smesko isn’t ready to look at specific matchups or that far ahead in the season, but he knows how special Reese’s addition to the team is this spring.

“She would bring a lot of stuff that really would take the Dream to another level,” Smesko said of recalling a potential trade for Reese. “It was one of those things that just seemed like if there’s a way to pull it off, let’s do it.”

Reese is entering her third season in the WNBA. She’s earned WNBA All-Star honors in each of her first two seasons. Reese averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season, while shooting 45.8% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc.

Funny enough, Atlanta took on Chicago in the preseason opener. Reese played just 13 minutes, but logged eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in an 87-78 win.