Angel Reese and Co. flipped a switch and Kahleah Copper wasn’t particularly thrilled with it. The Atlanta Dream trailed by as many as 15 and were down by 9 with just 3 minutes left. But a 7-0 run inspired by Reese got Dream to within 2 points. That’s when Reese walked up to Copper, offering a dap to her old friend. But the veteran shrugged her off, hinting at some friction. However, Reese has cleared the air on their relationship, opening up on her “grandma.”

Angel Reese dominated Kahleah Copper and the Mercury with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Copper pushed Dream with her 20 points but ultimately it was not enough as the Dream rallied to win 80-82. After the win, Reese admitted that Copper is one of the most important characters in the journey to where she is right now. 

“Me and Kah have an amazing relationship. She’s been a great vet for me, a great big sister to me, and even a grandma,” Reese told the media. “She has helped me with my journey. We have similar journeys—she’s from Philly, I’m from Baltimore—and it hasn’t been easy. She’s been in my ear from USA Basketball to Unrivaled and even just as competitors. She’s been great for me.  She’s a great player, a great person, and I’m really appreciative of her.”

Angel Reese and Copper’s friendship traces back to the first Unrivaled season, where they played together for Rose, even winning the championship. Since then, they have had multiple heartwarming moments that the fans have revered. Whether it’s Reese gifting Copper balloons and a potted plant or the multiple friendly jabs online. Copper also helped Reese with her finishing during Unrivaled. 

“For her, it’s just creating that routine. So I’m telling her ‘Everyday, we gotta work on your finishes after practice,'” Copper has said of Reese. “What people don’t understand is that little bit that you do every day, that s*** adds up. So we’re just working on that every day. And then just being able to stay mentally strong, it’s very hard.”

And it clearly worked as Reese went from shooting 39.1% from the field as a rookie to 45.8% in her second year. So, it seems like that on-court moment was just another one of their jabs rather than something more. Reese needed guidance during her first WNBA offseason and Copper became the perfect mentor. Now, at Atlanta Dream, Reese has matured, enough to guide her team to multiple comeback wins. 

Angel Reese Is the Spark Behind Atlanta Dream’s Never-Quit Mentality

The Atlanta Dream has been the comeback king of 2026 courtesy of Angel Reese. They are 2-1 in games trailing by 15+ points. The rest of the league? 0-23. And in both games, Reese has come up big with some very clutch plays. Against Minnesota, Reese pulled off a block in the final seconds to deny them a win. And now, it’s a steal on Alyssa Thomas in the final seconds that secured the win for the Dream. 

“We knew we’d been in these situations before for most of the games so far, and we just continued to fight. We’re a very resilient team,” Allisha Gray said. “We also knew when to take our time and execute the plays down the stretch because every game is going to be really close, so execution is important. We have a lot of dogs on this team. Everybody’s a dog. Everybody is going to fight to the end, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Allisha Gray and the Dream hoped Reese would elevate this team to a level they had never attained. “I do believe that Angel is the missing piece that we need to take us over the top,” Gray said before the season began.

And the early signs suggest that she is already doing it. Her offensive rebounding has become a key part of this team that shoots 36.5% of its attempts from beyond the arc. 

Yet, there is a long way to go. They stumbled in the first round against the Indiana Fever last year despite being the favorites. And despite her outstanding performances, Reese is still struggling with her finishing, shooting at 40.7% in her third year. There are things to improve but this start has given this team the confidence boost it desperately needed.