The Angel Reese trade becomes more stunning every day

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 04: Atlanta forward Angel Reese (5) reacts during the WNBA second round playoff game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream on October 4th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Last fall, Angel Reese was on the outskirts in Chicago, suspended for half a game for what the Sky deemed “statements detrimental to the team” after she criticized the Sky’s management and roster construction in a Chicago Tribune interview. In April, she was traded to the Atlanta Dream, joining an already-elite squad that had fallen short in the postseason for multiple years in a row. And, on Wednesday night, 13 months after that initial Sky controversy, Reese’s play sent a resounding message to the world: the Dream’s decision to trade for her was one of the great transactions of the modern WNBA. To acquire the two-time All-Star, the Dream gave up their 2027 and 2028 first-round picks. Most in the basketball world concluded it was a good move for Atlanta, but few projected just how impactful Reese could be in Atlanta. Last week, she was named the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year after putting together a mesmerizing defensive season. To close out the year, she was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week three weeks in a row. All of it came to a head on Wednesday night against the Liberty In a massive Game 2 semi-finals win against the New York Liberty, Reese, as she tends to be, was everywhere. She posted a team-high 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Unsurprisingly, she finished with the best plus-minus of any player in the game, a +11. Reese managed to impact nearly every possession of the game, infusing life in her teammates all the while. (No box score stat effectively captures Reese’s motor and energy on the floor; you simply have to watch the games). There were multiple times when her mere presence on the glass made it easy for her teammates to secure a board. There were other times when her quick hands changed the defensive momentum; late in overtime, for example, Reese got her hands on a Jonquel Jones drive, creating an unlikely jump-ball situation that turned into an inexplicable Sabrina Ionescu turnover. Battling against two of the most formidable post players in the game, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, Reese finished with 5 offensive rebounds — as many as the Liberty’s entire team — and powered a massive second-quarter run, hitting a three-pointer and converting an and-one layup in a matter of seconds. ANGEL REESE WHAT A SEQUENCE pic.twitter.com/dlfchNASKL — Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) October 8, 2026 “You just got to be fearless in there,” Reese told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in her walk-off interview. Then there were the clutch-time heroics: Reese, the worst free-throw shooter in Atlanta’s rotation, was intentionally fouled at the end of regulation and overtime. But, in spite of the enormity of the moment, Reese walked calmly to the line each time and sank both clutch-time free throws, giving the Dream a three-point lead both near the end of regulation and at the end of overtime. More striking than the makes was her body language: clearly unafraid of the moment. Afterward, she said that her confidence at the line stemmed from her work ethic. “Trust my work,” Reese said, explaining she challenges herself to make 10 straight free throws after every practice. “No matter how late it is.” In addition to the crunch-time free throws, Reese hit a go-ahead layup with 44 seconds left to go in overtime, off a feed from Naz Hillmon. That shot gave the Dream a 1-point lead; a Hillmon layup with 21 seconds to go restored it for good. Angel Reese powered an incredible Dream effort In the 101-98 win, the Dream were without Allisha Gray, their leading and most efficient scorer, who suffered a hand injury in Game 1 of the semifinals. (They were also without center Brionna Jones, as they have been most of the year). For the second straight game, her Dream teammates stepped up in her absence. Jordin Canada, who averaged 11.6 points during the regular season, exploded for 23 points and 8 assists. Isabel Borlase, who averaged 4.8 points, poured in 11 points. “You got to do it for your sisters,” Reese told Rowe. “Do it for the person next to you.” The Dream are in an excellent position; they’re up 2-0 in the best-of-five semi-finals, one win away from the WNBA Finals. No team in WNBA history has ever come back from an 0-2 deficit, and although the Liberty are experienced and talented, they face an extremely uphill climb. Angel Reese made sure of it. And as the Dream’s playoff run continues, the decision to trade for Reese increasingly looks like a generational move.

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