Angel Reese fits right in with Dream, beats Sky in first game since trade: Takeaways
Angel Reese played in Chicago on Wednesday evening for the first time since being traded to the Atlanta Dream on April 6 for two first-round draft picks.
The two-time All-Star, once pegged as a franchise pillar, will now serve that role for the Dream alongside Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon and Jordin Canada, all of whom signed multiyear contracts this month.
Attendance at Wintrust Arena was lackluster for the preseason game, but when Reese took the court in the Dream’s 87-78 win over the Sky, the ovation she received was a reflection of the fan favorite she was for two seasons in Chicago. At the first timeout the Sky played a tribute video that brought a number of fans to their feet.
In two seasons with the Sky, Reese averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds. Against her former team, Reese looked poised and confident, finishing with 8 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists while playing fewer than 13 minutes.
There’s a level of ease to this Dream group, despite having Reese in the fold for only a week and a half. What’s immediately clear is how well she fits alongside Gray, Howard and Canada, who all started, in addition to Sika Kone. With the Dream, Reese is being slotted into an established group anchored by two of the league’s top three-level scoring guards in Gray and Howard, plus a trusted point guard in Canada.
Reese’s trade to Atlanta could unlock a new level in her game because of the spacing she’ll have in Dream coach Karl Smesko’s system. In Chicago she was strangled in the paint playing alongside another traditional big in Kamilla Cardoso. Smesko has also given her the green light to shoot the 3-ball. She had one 3-point attempt Wednesday night on the Dream’s opening play, which rimmed out.
“I don’t think she’s satisfied with where she’s at,” Smesko said. “I think she wants to be one of the very best players in this league, and I think she has that potential.”
Smesko said he plans to use Reese in different positions, but running those set plays wasn’t his priority. In the Dream’s first preseason action, he wanted to give his starters the freedom to create and see what they could do strictly off instinct with each other.
“Today was trying to play without plays,” Smesko said of Reese’s first game action. “Can we just create scores in transition, work together to create scores. We’re pretty good if we set up a situation. We want something now that’s free-flowing. Can we create the same quality of shots just learning how to play with each other?”
Smesko’s pregame plan was to play his starters 15 to 20 minutes. He ultimately kept four of his five starters — Reese, Gray, Howard and Canada — on the bench for the entire second half.
Is the Dream a title contender?
Reese’s addition to Atlanta’s roster has heightened contender conversations around the franchise.
The Dream is one of a few teams that has roster continuity after re-signing Howard, Jones, Hillmon and Canada, the core that led Atlanta to a third straight postseason appearance. The Dream, however, never made it out of the first round during that run. Last year, it lost to a depleted Indiana Fever team.
The trade for Reese, however, could be the move that gets them over the hump.
Smesko doesn’t care to characterize his team as a contender, but he’s aware of the outside expectations.
“It’s out there,” Smesko said pregame. “But I’m trying to get us to take a more condensed view of just getting better every day. We want to be the best at getting better, and hopefully, through the course of the season, we make the most improvement. If you’re lucky enough to make the playoffs, anything can happen. You just want to be in the best position to give yourself a chance. The way you do that is by focusing on things daily.”
Early absences and concerns for the Sky
The Sky is navigating a slew of injuries as the 2026 season approaches.
Its lengthy injury report included starting point guard Skylar Diggins, who was out due to personal reasons, as well as Azurá Stevens (knee), Courtney Vandersloot (knee), DiJonai Carrington (foot) and Elizabeth Williams (reconditioning). Stevens, Vandersloot, Carrington and Williams were on the Sky’s bench, while Diggins was not with the team.
Without Diggins leading the offense, the Sky looked outmatched against the Dream’s starters. But regardless of the Sky’s absences, center Cardoso’s limited output was an early indication that the team goes as she does. She finished with just 3 points while shooting 1-for-5 from the field and committing five turnovers. On the defensive end she came away with two blocks but was a step late protecting the rim.
Roster decisions
Every WNBA roster must be trimmed to 12 players and two developmental spots by May 7.
In Chicago, Sydney Taylor is making a strong case for one of the Sky’s final 12 spots. Taylor led all scorers with 23 points Wednesday, scoring through contact at the rim and connecting from 3. She also shot 7 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Spots 1 through 10 are solidified for the Sky, but the final two are still up for debate. Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld, the Nos. 11 and 16 picks in the 2025 draft, have made strong cases as well, but nothing has been determined yet. Aicha Coulibaly is another training camp player with potential to crack the 12-player roster.
If Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca opts to sign Van Lith and Westbeld, Taylor and Coulibaly would be great options as developmental players.