Five days is all it took for Angel Reese to experience two completely different versions of Atlanta fans. First, she walked into a packed State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, a 17,000-capacity arena, where she was the center of attention. Then, she played in the Gateway Center Arena as a Dream player for the first time ever, experiencing something completely different.

“Obviously, it’s a smaller environment, but it felt more intimate,” Reese said per Wilton C. Jackson II. “You can feel the crowd, you can feel every moment, you can feel every whistle, every possession, so it was really cool.”

State Farm Arena was built for scale, noise, and spectacle, and the Dream hosted their matchup against the Las Vegas Aces there to put more eyes on the team’s stars. The atmosphere was electrifying. But Gateway Center is home. Fans sit so close that players can hear almost every reaction from the crowd.

The Dream beat Dallas 86-69 in Reese’s first proper home game. She scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds on the night. 

“This is my first time seeing them extend the seats on the side near our bench, which is a cool experience,” she added. “So, trying to get as many fans in here and just enjoy this winning basketball, Atlanta.”

For the last three years, the Dream franchise has consistently ranked near the bottom of the WNBA in total home attendance, largely because of capacity limitations. Since 2020, Atlanta has played most of its games at Gateway Center Arena, which officially holds around 3,500 fans for basketball games, with the capacity expandable to 5,000 for concerts.

Friday night’s matchup still drew a crowd of 3,626, meaning extra seating had to be added to meet demand, with hundreds packing in to catch Angel Reese in action.

Less than 24 hours after Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky before the season tipped off, her Dream jerseys sold out in every size, and ticket demand exploded almost immediately. To put things into perspective, prices for Atlanta’s State Farm Arena opener against the Aces jumped from $38 to $68, while tickets for Gateway Center games climbed close to $200 simply because there were not enough seats available.

That is exactly why Atlanta has scheduled multiple games at State Farm Arena this season.

Angel Reese Is Thriving in Atlanta, But There’s Still One Loose End

After having one of her worst nights against the Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena, Reese did more than just bounce back against the Wings. She finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds, falling just short of another double-double. 

She shot 7-of-11 from the field and played a key role in a game the Dream controlled for long stretches and ultimately won 86-69 to continue their strong start to the season.

So far, Angel Reese has averaged 10.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. However, turnovers remain the one area that continues to haunt her.

In her most recent game, she finished with five turnovers, continuing a pattern that has shown up throughout the season. At times, it comes from offensive fouls while fighting for position. Other times, it’s simple passing mistakes or rushed decisions in traffic. 

Atlanta has leaned heavily on Reese’s physicality and energy inside the paint, and so far, it has translated into wins. The Dream are 3–1 on the season, with their only loss coming against the Aces, which was by a single point. 

Angel Reese is clearly finding her rhythm and giving the Dream a physical edge. So the next step in her development will be tightening those moments where aggression turns into mistakes, especially as defenses start adjusting to her inside presence.