With thirty wins in 2025, the most in Atlanta Dream history, first-year head coach Karl Smesko is expected to push the bar even higher, with Angel Reese seen as a key piece to turning Atlanta’s title dreams into reality.

After three straight playoff appearances, Karl Smesko believes adding “Bayou Barbie” could turn the Atlanta Dream from a solid contender into a serious threat, as seen in a clip shared hours ago by sports reporter Luke Hetrick on X.

"Just getting to work with her every day, her attitude about stuff, her wanting to get better. She wants to be held accountable. I mean, she's an all-star player, but she wants to be the best player,"

He further explained the encouragement that such players give to the coaching experience.

"So it just makes it fun to go to work when you're dealing with players who really are motivated to get better every day."

Early signs suggest the Angel Reese and Karl Smesko pairing is clicking. Reese said last month she wanted to be coached hard, and Smesko already seems to be giving her exactly that.

Last month, during Atlanta Dream training camp at Gateway Center Arena and the team’s practice facility in College Park, Smesko stayed vocal throughout practice. He pointed out mistakes, praised players when they got things right, and the team responded well during the media-open session.

That included Angel Reese, who looked comfortable during her first training camp under Karl Smesko and smiled afterward when asked about working with him.

"My experience with Karl has been amazing," Reese said. "He's sitting down individually [with me], but I appreciate him for holding me accountable every single possession, and always getting on me."

Reese has already started carrying that momentum into preseason action.

Why the Atlanta Dream believes Angel Reese can take them to the next level

Less than two weeks after her first press conference with the Atlanta Dream, Angel Reese has already impressed head coach Karl Smesko with her development ahead of Atlanta’s season opener against the Minnesota Lynx on May 11.

“This is just gonna be a part of what she does … hopefully people will be patient with that, but there’s been tremendous progress already,” Karl Smesko said confidently.

Smesko’s confidence is already showing on the court.

Last month, the Atlanta Dream opened preseason play with an 87-78 win over the Chicago Sky, with Angel Reese putting up eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals in under 13 minutes.

Even without making a three-pointer in that game, Smesko still believes Angel Reese can space the floor and impact the game in several ways, especially with her 45.8% shooting from the field and 75.6% mark from the free-throw line in 2025, backing up that belief.

Do you think Karl Smesko is the perfect coach to unlock the next level of Angel Reese’s game? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Surjo Ray