Angel Reese’s Mixed Start with the Atlanta Dream

Angel Reese began her professional career with the Chicago Sky before being traded to the Atlanta Dream in a surprising offseason move. Her initial performances with Atlanta have shown inconsistency. In her debut against the Minnesota Lynx, Reese scored 11 points, making only four of her 11 shots. She secured 14 rebounds and blocked three shots, but also committed five turnovers and five personal fouls.

Reese showed some improvement in her second game, shooting 4-of-8 and grabbing 16 rebounds during a 77-72 victory over the Dallas Wings. Her home debut drew a sellout crowd at the State Farm Arena as fans eagerly anticipated her performance with the Dream.

Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream celebrates scoring during the second half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on May 12, 2026. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Her arrival in Atlanta was met with enthusiasm. She embraced the spotlight by appearing in a bold leather outfit that the media compared to “Catwoman energy.” In pregame discussions about facing A’ja Wilson, Reese stated, “She’s obviously a great player… but I know I’m a great player too.”

However, Reese’s performance in the game was disappointing. She made only one of eight field-goal attempts, missed her lone three-point shot, and had eight turnovers, equaling her eight rebounds. During one missed layup, she even lost a shoe.

With six missed layups and eight turnovers, Reese’s performance impacted her team’s scoring, reflected by a -13 +/- rating. This means that Las Vegas Aces outscored the Dream by 13 points while Reese was on the court. Over the season, Atlanta has been outscored by 15 points with Reese playing.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese leaves the game during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

Due to these struggles, head coach Karl Smesko benched Reese during a game, leading to an attempted comeback by Atlanta, which resulted in an 85-84 loss to the Aces.

In her first three games with Atlanta, Reese’s statistics include 9-27 shooting, 0-2 on three-pointers, 16 turnovers, and 11 fouls, alongside a -15 +/- rating. Positively, she’s collected 38 rebounds, blocked five shots, and maintained 14-18 efficiency from the free-throw line.

Reese and the Dream will remain home for the rest of the week. They are set to host the Dallas Wings for a rematch at Gateway Center Arena on Friday night.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese leaves a game against the Las Vegas Aces in the second quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

Ian Miller is a writer at OutKick.