A lot of the Atlanta Dream’s playoff fate depends on Angel Reese. That became apparent when the New York Liberty started to chip away at the lead in the minutes after the Dream star had to exit the game with an injury. While the Dream did manage to recover, Reese not appearing in the second half left many concerned. Following the game, head coach Karl Smesko cleared the air on why that was the case.

“She was cleared, but we decided that it would be smart for her to sit out the second half.”

Smesko told reporters during the post-game press conference.

With just over five seconds before halftime, Reese was defending Sabrina Ionescu around the 3-point line. Reese took a hit to her face from the Liberty guard’s arm, forcing her to exit the game. According to Smesko, the medical staff had cleared her to return to the game. However, the team wanted to be on the safe side and didn’t put her in the game to take any further risk.

Ionescu was initially called for an offensive foul. However, the officials ruled it as a Flagrant 1 after the review. Reese took her free throws and went back to the locker room for further evaluation. She finished the game with 6 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Reese didn’t return to the bench for the first few minutes of the third quarter. She came back and joined her teammates with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter. She spent the remaining time of the game on the bench.

The Dream’s refusal to bring Reese out of the contest was a low-risk move, at least from where the team stood at that point in the game. When Reese exited the game, Atlanta was leading 41-26. In the second quarter, Reese and company had held the shorthanded New York to just 7 points before taking a 15-point lead heading into the third quarter.

The Dream ultimately won the game 83-65, clinching the fourth seed heading into the playoffs. While Atlanta had already qualified for the playoffs, it was an important win becuase the win helped them secure home-court advantage against their two possible opponents, the Indiana Fever or the Washington Mystics.

If the Fever win their next contest against the Minnesota Lynx, the Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark rivalry will highlight the first-round series. If the Fever lose and the Mystics win their next contests, Reese vs. Kiki Iriafelis will certainly be the matchup to watch. 

For now, Angel Reese has played her best WNBA season yet, adding some historic stats to her resume. The Dream star averaged a double-double for the third time in her first three years in the WNBA. She averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 42 games this season. Reese leads the league in double-doubles (32) and rebounds, including her dominance on the offensive board (4.8) as well.

Earlier this season, Reese became the first player to record 500 rebounds in a single season. The magnitude of her achievements truly makes sense when compared to rebounding legends like Tina Charles and Sylvia Fowles. Last month, on Aug. 24, Reese broke Chamique Holdsclaw’s single-game rebounding record (24) held for 23 years. Against the LA Sparks, she recorded 26 rebounds. 

During the same game, she set a record for total rebounds in a single season. Her 458 rebounds after the game were the most by any player, breaking A’ja Wilson’s 451 total rebounds, which the Las Vegas Aces star set in 2024. On Aug. 30, Reese recorded her 29th double-double of the season and set a record for most double-doubles in a single season.

Despite her individual success since her rookie year, Reese missed the playoffs in both years she played with the Chicago Sky. This will be her first season in the playoffs, and she will look to take her team deep into the postseason. Reese knows that her team is capable of winning against any team in the league.