Coming off a heartbreaking early playoff exit, the Atlanta Dream is trying to rebound by, well, acquiring the best rebounder in the game.
Less than 24 hours into the WNBA free agency period, the Dream struck a deal with the Chicago Sky that essentially sends Atlanta’s first-round draft picks in both 2027 and 2028 to Chi-town in exchange for two-time league All-Star forward Angel Reese. The deal is not just an unequivocal win for the Dream—it could also be a fantasy come true for the entire city of Atlanta.
First, the on-court X’s and O’s: The Dream is coming off its best-ever regular season, a 30-14 campaign good for first in the Eastern Conference. Those results were due largely to first-year coach Karl Smesko implementing a fast-paced offense centered around 3-point shooting and high-percentage interior shots. While she is not known for her shooting range, the 6-foot-3 Reese did lead the Chicago Sky in points per game (14.7) last year, most of those coming within five feet of the basket.
But scoring isn’t what makes Reese a star in the paint. Prior to her arrival in the WNBA in 2024, no player had ever averaged more than 12 rebounds per game—Reese has done it twice, with 12.6 boards per game last year. That means she can pull down defensive rebounds to start fast breaks and offensive boards to give her teammates—who are 3-point sharpshooters, especially if the team resigns guards Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, as expected—second- and third chances to score.
“Angel’s ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is elite,” Smesko said in a release. “Her energy, toughness, and instincts will thrive in our system, and we’re excited to integrate her into the style of play we are constructing here in Atlanta.”
And what ought to tantalize Dream fans even more is the fact that Reese is just 23 years old—still driven to improve. Smesko’s positionless scheme, in which players are encouraged move around and do it all, should help Reese develop and round out her skillset.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said in the Dream’s press release. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”
That’s what the Dream gets. What does Atlanta get?
Well, for one thing, the city gets another sports celebrity—a transcendent player and face of women’s basketball now and in the future. Last year, she became the first-ever WNBA player to walk a runway for Victoria’s Secret, the first steps into becoming the face of an entire 2026 campaign for the lingerie brand.
Reese has attracted her share of negative publicity, but one could argue it’s for all the right reasons—she’s a competitor. For instance, last year the Sky suspended her for half a game for telling the press that she was “not settling for the same shit” the team was doing in 2025, and that Chicago needed to “get great players” in the offseason. But the Sky was 10-31 at the time.
Now that she is suddenly surrounded by great players, it might give her the chance to renew her most famous rivalry—that with mega-star Caitlin Clark. The personal competition dates back to their teen years in AAU but got national media attention during the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship game when, while leading LSU to the win, Reese taunted Clark with the “you can’t see me” wave and pointed to her ring finger in reference to the title that she was about to win at Clark’s expense. It happened to be the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time.
Clark now plays for the Indiana Fever—the same team that upset the Dream in the first round of the WNBA playoffs last year, without the injured Clark. When those two teams meet again, with Reese and a healthy Clark on the floor, it’s sure to grab some attention. As CBS Sports writer Lindsay Gibbs says, “the thought of having Clark and Reese both playing on talented teams with the real hopes of winning a championship . . . has to have WNBA executives jumping for joy.”
The idea of having Atlanta as a backdrop for the modern WNBA version of Magic vs. Bird should have all of us excited. And judging by the early returns, we are: According to StubHub, Dream ticket demand exploded 15x following the Reese acquisition, “the largest single day spike in franchise history.” How’s that for star power?
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