The Chicago Sky moved on from Angel Reese faster than most expected, trading the two-time All-Star on April 6 to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, ending a two-year run that produced record-breaking numbers and a complicated exit.

USA Today’s Meghan L. Hall was among the first to break down what Atlanta is actually getting. Her verdict was direct: the Dream’s rebounding and ability to clean up plays are the immediate winners of this deal.

Per Hall’s projection, Reese is expected to step into the starting lineup in Atlanta, most likely replacing Naz Hillmon. Her role would center on rebounding, defense, and paint scoring, areas where she has dominated since entering the league.

Hall also pointed to Reese’s background as a former point guard in Baltimore as an added layer of playmaking that fits what the Dream are building under head coach Karl Smesko.

Smesko’s track record matters here as well. Hall noted that he has a history of developing forwards’ shooting and footwork, pointing to how he helped Hillmon develop a reliable three-point shot.

Angel Reese, whose range remains a work in progress, could be the next beneficiary of that kind of coaching.

Furthermore, the production backing that projection is hard to argue with.

Angel Reese has led the WNBA in rebounding in each of her first two seasons, averaging 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 2025 alone.

She is also the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds, milestones that already put her in a class of her own through 64 career games.

Why Angel Reese Joining the Atlanta Dream Could Change their Ceiling

The Dream does not need a rebuild. Atlanta finished last season with a 30-14 record before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Indiana Fever.

That early exit exposed the gap between being a strong regular-season team and a genuine title contender. Angel Reese’s addition is a direct response to that problem.

She joins a lineup that already includes Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, two of the better wing scorers in the league.

That combination of perimeter shooting and interior dominance gives Atlanta a profile most teams in the WNBA cannot match.

The plan would be simple. Reese handles the boards and the paint; Gray and Howard handle the spacing and scoring.

Smesko himself has said her energy, toughness, and instincts will thrive in the system Atlanta is constructing.

The question heading into 2026 is not whether Angel Reese fits, as the early signs suggest she does. It is whether one addition can push a team that has already done a lot right, especially over the last line between playoff contender and championship-level program.

Read more at She Got Game!

Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Arvind Rao