After leaving the Chicago Sky following a disappointing 10–34 season, a move she had pushed for, Angel Reese initially seemed unfazed. But during her first press conference with the Atlanta Dream on Friday after being traded earlier this month, she opened up and showed that she had been holding back her true emotions.

During the session, when Meghan L. Hall asked Angel Reese how she stayed grounded after moving from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream, the 23-year-old became emotional as she answered.

"I did experience a lot of great things and enjoy being able to grow within my first two years (in Chicago)," said Reese, who led the league last season with 12.6 rebounds per game and 23 double-doubles.

"But ... I love to win. I love to compete. ... I'm not satisfied with what I am as a player," she continued.

Reese and the team are on the same page, as head coach Karl Smesko, who joined the Atlanta Dream in November 2024, praised her versatility, said he sees strong potential in her, and is focused on helping her reach her full capabilities.

"I want to hear what she thinks her strengths are and what she really wants to get better at, and I want to be a coach that helps players achieve to their highest level and what they wanted to become," the 55-year-old veteran coach added. 

Reese also shared that she wanted to be part of a team where coaches and management truly believed in her, adding that joining Atlanta felt right because of the strong sense of connection and sisterhood within the team.

But it wasn’t just talk. Reese felt the difference the moment she stepped into the locker room.

New Team, New Energy for Angel Reese

With how warmly everyone has welcomed Angel Reese, she struggled to hold back tears while talking about the “sisterhood” she has found with the Atlanta Dream.

"It lowkey makes me emotional because I haven't had this, and I'm really grateful … Being around these kinds of players would help me be better, and I can help them in different ways to help them win," Reese said on Friday.

Her new teammates have reciprocated these feelings when talking about her arrival.

"Angel being here ... she's the piece that we needed to get us over the hump," said Allisha Gray on Friday, while Naz Hillmon added that it’s great to be on the same side as Reese because "Angel's annoying as h*** to play against."

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat