Angel Reese Shines in Atlanta Dream’s Win

Angel Reese is usually quite adept at securing rebounds, so it was a bit surprising to see her hit the floor during a tussle with Brittney Griner of the Sun in Tuesday night’s matchup, where the Dream triumphed 91-75.

Griner seemed taken aback by Reese’s fall, extending a hand in a gesture of sportsmanship.

With under eight minutes remaining and Atlanta ahead 68-65, both players were vying for a rebound close to the basket. Griner positioned herself to Reese’s left, their arms entwined as they faced the hoop.

They shared a strange moment, locked together, with Reese poised to dart toward a loose ball while Griner’s arm inadvertently hindered her. Suddenly, Reese lost her balance and threw her hands up, skidding across the court. One might wonder if she just… slipped, or was it something more?

Shortly afterward, Griner loomed over Reese, clearly surprised, but she reached out to assist her opponent.

The referees analyzed the situation and ultimately deemed it a flagrant foul, paving the way for Reese to hit one of two free throws, extending Atlanta’s lead to four points.

In the end, Reese had an impressive double-double, tallying 12 rebounds and 13 points, which contributed to the Dream improving their record to 6-2. Meanwhile, Griner ended up with 7 points and 4 rebounds, while the Sun fell to 2-9.

Dream coach Carl Smesko had high praise for Reese’s performance, especially noting her “amazing” impact in the fourth quarter, including a pivotal three-pointer in the third that narrowed Connecticut’s lead to just one point.

“I thought those were momentum changers,” Smesko remarked about the strong plays. “The crowd loved it, the team loved it, I loved it.” He added that while Reese has been adaptable with her shooting in practice, she hadn’t quite matched that pace in games—until now, it seems.