The Atlanta Dream has been living the dream for the last few weeks. They have been undefeated since the FIBA World Cup break, and they cruised to the semifinals after sweeping the Washington Mystics in the first round. Then another highlight moment came a day after the Dream’s series win, when Angel Reese took home the Defensive Player of the Year award.
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Reese’s arrival in Atlanta has coincided with not only a better season but also initial playoff success. According to free agent WNBA player Lexie Brown, Reese has been the key that Dream required to unlock their potential.
“She’s been their missing piece. I mean, I think her versatility at that position has been something that the Dream has been lacking,” Brown said on NBA TV.
With Reese joining the roster, the Dream seem like a team with a legitimate chance to win it all. She is also the first player to win the DPOY award in the franchise’s history.
In fact, their win against the Washington Mystics is the first time Atlanta has won a playoff series since 2018. This is the first time in eight years that they would appear in a semifinal series.
In the last three years, with Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray, the Dream made the playoffs but faced a first-round exit. Meanwhile, Brown compared Reese’s impact to 5x All-Star Angel McCoughtry.
“I remember watching Angel McCoughtry when she played for the Atlanta Dream. She was probably their last defensive presence, truly. And the way she played defense, so she was kind of a rover. She could play multiple positions.
“I think Angel is kind of just like this new era of versatile bigs that can do kind of the same thing. And I just feel like just her energy, the way she hypes up her teammates, she’s definitely the anchor and the energy of this Atlanta defense for sure.”
McCoughtry is one of the greatest two-way players in WNBA history. The former Atlanta Dream franchise player was WNBA All-Defensive First Team for seven consecutive years and won two scoring titles. She was also the steals leader twice in her career.
It may be too early to compare Reese to McCoughtry, who was one of the most electrifying players in WNBA history, but it’s hard to miss Reese’s energy as a difference maker so far.
She had the best on/off differential among her teammates. With her on the floor, the Dream allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions. Moreover, Reese also has the league-best 3.39 defensive win shares.
Through the regular season, the Dream star was ranked 4th in the league in defensive rating (100.0). She led the league in rebounds (12.1) and 4th in defensive rebounds (7.3) and helped the Dream hold their opponents to just 9.5 second-chance points: the lowest in the league.
She is the first player from the Eastern Conference since the Chicago Sky’s Sylvia Fowles to win the DPOY award.
“I have the trophy, but I definitely want Jordin and Rhyne to sign it because I think they deserve it just as much as I do,” Reese said in the Dream’s announcement.
“I’m grateful for Atlanta, I’m grateful for my teammates and my coaches, and all the supporting staff that supports us. This is just the beginning.”
Howard (2.3) led the league in steals. Canada (1.9) and Reese (1.8) were second and third on the leaderboard. The Dream also posted the second-best defensive rating behind the Golden State Valkyries. It was one of the reasons that she had earlier declared that the DPOY was in Atlanta.
Now, Atlanta has a bigger fish to fry. They have a chance to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013 and bring the first title to Atlanta. However, they’ll face the New York Liberty, who knocked out the league leaders in a first-round upset, in the five-game series in the semifinals.