Atlanta Dream face questions over Angel Reese’s role before WNBA Finals Game 2
The Athletic says Atlanta needs to create more chances for Reese after its offense stalled in a 68-64 loss to Golden State.
The Atlanta Dream enter Monday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco after a 68-64 opening loss. The Athletic reported that getting Angel Reese involved more often could help Atlanta’s offense as it tries to level the series.
Atlanta led by seven points with 8:49 left in Game 1 but scored only six points the rest of the way, according to The Athletic. The Dream’s recap says the team shot 32.8% overall and made one field goal in the final 7:16. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.
Why Angel Reese saw fewer chances after halftime
Reese scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, The Athletic reported. She finished with 14 points, attempting just two shots in the second half. Coach Karl Smesko said Atlanta’s ball movement suffered after halftime: ‘We did a little bit too much one-on-one instead of getting into actions. Angel had a great first half. We didn’t get her the ball enough.’
The Athletic argues that pace and movement would give Reese more opportunities, particularly on cuts and rolls. Its analysis describes Atlanta’s half-court attack as stagnant and says the Dream forced only eight turnovers in Game 1, half their regular-season average of 16. During the regular season, Atlanta averaged 18.1 points off turnovers, according to the report. Fewer takeaways also meant fewer chances to find Reese in transition.
The matchup in the paint offers another reason to vary how Atlanta uses her. Citing Synergy data, The Athletic reported that Reese scored 0.870 points per post-up possession during the regular season, placing her in the 26th percentile among bigs. Against Golden State, Reese was blocked twice when isolating against Kiah Stokes, while a baseline cut with Stokes in the lane produced a basket and a foul.
How Atlanta could create chances in Game 2
Smesko’s comments point to a task for Atlanta’s offense: move the ball and find Reese while she is cutting or rolling toward the basket. The Athletic also identified transition chances as a way to involve her after the Dream’s limited takeaways in the opener. Those adjustments are the outlet’s analysis ahead of Monday’s game; Smesko’s postgame comments establish that he wanted Atlanta to get Reese the ball more often.
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Sources and context
- Here’s how Dream can better use Angel Reese in Game 2 of the WNBA FinalsThe Athletic (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Dream Falls in Game 1 of WNBA FinalsAtlanta Dream
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.