Angel Reese was the same player back in Chicago. But she is thriving in Atlanta with her elite rebounding, and the team seems like a better fit for her championship dreams. Back in her time with the Chicago Sky, her clash with the ownership and her eventual suspension for some of her statements took too much of the spotlight away from things that mattered the most. 

Now, Atlanta gives her a break from all that. Plus, she is looking better day by day, and analyst Terrika Foster-Brasby explains why.

“What I do notice is that it’s the perfect place for her to grow and also just be herself without the unwanted and unnecessary attention of being the focal point,” Brasby said on Yahoo Sports Daily. “I think when Angel was in Chicago, it was Angel’s team, and that’s a very difficult task in a WNBA that is continually growing. It was also an organization that, at the time, was going through its fair share of growing pains and challenges.”

Reese was front and center for the Chicago Sky, on and off the court. She led the team in points and rebounds. She was second in assists as well. The player was the center of attention when it came to marketing for the team. The Sky tried to seize on her popularity to elevate the franchise.

While Reese was delivering on her end, being the face of the franchise and the leader as a rookie could have come too early for her. 

She clashed with the locker room after criticizing her own teammates in an interview. It was because Reese wanted to win and create a competitive team. But as a side effect, it isolated her from the rest of the team. In addition, the Sky organization is not considered the best. They were voted the ‘worst run’ by the players last year. Dealing with multiple aspects was difficult.

But with the Dream, her future looks bright. Here’s why!

Last year, the franchise lost the first-round playoff series, but the front office knew what changes were needed: retain the core of the team and add more value to it. That’s where Reese fits in. And Atlanta made sense for her beyond just a championship run chance. 

She also knows the city and has a connection with the players there. Plus, if will give her the environment she needs.

Atlanta Dream gives Angel Reese room to experiment and grow

On the flip side, Reese has a clear role with the Atlanta Dream and better pieces around her. The Dream are a growing team where Angel Reese could be the missing piece for building a contender. She has more room to make mistakes and grow. Her three-point shooting is the biggest example. 

Reese has attempted 1.2 three-pointers per game so far while shooting 15.4% from the three. Even though the numbers aren’t looking great for now, she has the room to experiment in this team; something she wouldn’t have had at the Sky. In addition, her teammates being MVP contenders and All-WNBA regulars has motivated Reese to elevate her game as well.

“The team makes it easy for me because there’s so much talent around me, you just can’t sit on me the whole time, when everybody else is so great,” she said about her new team earlier this week.

Reese is averaging 13.6 points and a league-leading 12.2 rebounds per game while assisting 3.2. The team is 8-3, and Reese’s impact has been felt with her plus-minus reading of +5.5. She is making clutch plays and impacting winning at a high level. The exact reason why she was brought in by the Atlanta Dream.