I think most Atlanta Dream fans already agreed that Angel Reese is perfect.
She’s been an exemplary addition, injecting the team with passion, persistence and more pink, while, as Naz Hillmon discussed after Atlanta’s most recent game, empowering her teammates.
Asked what Angel has brought to Atlanta, Naz offered:
And then the things that people may not see, like, the way she pours into people on this team, regardless of what she’s got going on, like the way that she talks, especially to the young ones,
even the old, even the vets. She talks to people, cares about them, pours into them, and when someone as big as Angel Reese is pouring into you, like, I know that that means a lot from so many people, and she does it consistently.
Of course, Angel was literally perfect in the Dream’s last game.
She went 9-for-9 from the field as she earned a 20-point and 10-rebound double-double in Atlanta’s absolute rout of the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Reese’s perfection extended beyond the arc, where she was 2-for-2 from 3; she also registered eight assists, putting her in range of a triple-double.
So, how will Angel follow up her perfect Hollywood night?
The Dream remain out west, visiting the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday (10 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass).
Reese’s perfect double-double was the capstone on an overall extraordinary outlier win by the Dream. On the way to scoring a franchise-record 124 points, they shot a season-high 63.9 percent from the field, making a season-high 16 3-pointers. Atlanta also dished out a franchise-record 35 assists. Rhyne Howard led the team in scoring, hitting five triples on her way to 26 points, while Jordin Canada tallied 11 assists.
Even if the Mercury, like the Sparks, do not have much to compete for, as they are all but officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Dream can’t expect everything to go so right again, even if Atlanta has found significant success against Phoenix of late.
After sweeping the Mercury 3-0 last season, the Dream have won both games this season. In late May, Atlanta conjured a closing 9-0 run to notch the two-point home win over Phoenix. At the beginning of the month, the Dream won in less dramatic fashion, cruising to a 14-point home win. Howard has been red hot from range in both games, netting 11 3s across the two wins. As a team, the Dream have hit 25 3s against the Mercury this season. Reese also has posted a double-double in both games.
With that track record, maybe Atlanta can expect everything to go right again?
Reese, however, realizes that basketball is fickle. Hard work, hustle and heart can be negated by an unkind bounce of the ball. She acutely experienced this last weekend, when her potential game-winning putback at against the Indiana Fever refused to fall and the Dream eventually lost in overtime.
As Angel explained on Prime after her perfect LA game, “But you gotta move on as a basketball player,” sharing she talked to her former head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after the Indiana loss, who emphasized to her, “How are you gonna let one moment dictate everything, dictate the future?,” urging Angel to, instead, “Push forward.”
There’s not doubt that Angel will adopt the same mentality after a great game. Just as she will not be defined by a low moment, she knows she cannot be defined by a high one.
She’s going to keep pushing forward. Playing through makes and misses. Keeping her motor revving. Going after every board. Showing off her passing chops. Taking 3s without hesitation. Pouring into her teammates.
It’s Angel’s insistence through her imperfections that, in fact, make her so perfect for the Dream. She’s undeterred and undaunted as she does whatever is necessary to ensure both she and her teammates can become the best versions of their basketball selves.
That makes me confident that, while it may not be a Dream night in the desert on Saturday, Angel and Atlanta will find a way to victory.
In the comments, let us know your thoughts on the Dream and Reese, from how you think they’ll perform against the Mercury to how you expect them to finish off the regular season to how you feel about their playoff prospects.
