Angel Reese had the kind of night Sunday that gets brought up every time her name shows up in a box score for the rest of the season. The Atlanta Dream star posted a 1-of-8 shooting line with eight turnovers and got pulled by her own coach during the fourth quarter of an 85-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
Reese, 24, was acquired by Atlanta in an offseason trade with the Chicago Sky and started the year hot. Through the first two games of the season, she averaged 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 42 percent from the field and 70 percent from the line. The Dream opened 2-0 with her in the starting lineup.
Sunday looked nothing like that. Reese finished with 9 points on 1-of-8 shooting. Eight turnovers. Atlanta was outscored by a wide margin while she was on the court.
The Benching
With 5:21 to play in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena and Atlanta down 81-70, head coach Karl Smesko sat Reese. Other Dream starters Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon, and Te-Hina Paopao all stayed on the floor. Reese was the one who was singled out.
The Dream then went on a run with Reese on the bench and cut the deficit to 81-80 with 2:16 left. Reese checked back in for the final couple of minutes, but Atlanta could not finish the comeback and walked off with its first loss of the season.
The video clips from the game went viral. A compilation of Reese’s lowlights from House of Lowlights racked up views across X, with the caption pointing out the 1-of-8 shooting and eight turnovers and noting that Atlanta’s comeback happened with Reese off the floor.
Reese’s Limits Are Showing Up Again
This is not a one-time issue. Reese has been one of the most polarizing players in women’s basketball since her LSU days, in large part because her offensive game has clear flaws that get exposed when the shots are not falling. The two-time All-Star is at her best when she can clean up second chances, run the floor, and impose herself physically on the glass. When her jumper is not dropping and the defense forces her into decisions off the dribble, the turnovers pile up.
The Aces are exactly the kind of opponent who can isolate that weakness. They have the size, the discipline, and the championship reps to know when to send help and when to make her play one-on-one.
Where Does She Go From Here
The Dream’s next game is Friday against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings, and Reese will get plenty of attention in that matchup. Bueckers’ rookie campaign has been one of the biggest stories of the WNBA season, and a head-to-head against another high-profile young star will give Reese a chance to reset the narrative quickly.
She also has to be careful with her social media in the meantime. Reese has been trolled relentlessly in recent weeks, including by Detroit Pistons fans during NBA playoff games, and another high-volume scroll session on a bad night is the kind of thing that can spiral.
One game does not define a season. But it does set the tone for what gets written about every game after it. Reese has to make sure Friday’s box score erases this one quickly.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
