Angel Reese did not make it as a starter on the All-Star team this season. But as the regular season draws to a close, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko believes that there can be no doubt that Reese will make the starting lineup of the All-WNBA Defensive Team. He even made a case for Reese winning the ultimate defensive title.
After the Dream’s outing against the Chicago Sky on September 19, Chicago Sun-Times’s Alissa Hirsh asked Smesko about Reese making the defensive team this year. Smesko had a confident response, which USA Today reporter Meghan L. Hall posted on X.
“That’s gotta be case closed, right? She has to be first team … I think the question is whether she’ll be Defensive Player of the Year. I think Angel’s case is as good as anyone’s.”
In Atlanta’s latest game against the Sky, Reese dropped 23 points and 10 rebounds, extending her total rebounds in a single season to beyond the 500 mark, something never seen in WNBA history. The Dream front office wasted no time in hyping up their star forward for the milestone.
“500 REBOUNDS. UNCHARTED TERRITORY. Angel Reese becomes the first player in WNBA history to record 500 rebounds in a single season. She already owns the WNBA single-season rebounding record. Now, she becomes the first to take it to 500. A season on the glass unlike anything this league has ever seen,” read the post by the Dream.
Having already surpassed A’ja Wilson’s mark of 451 rebounds in the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 24, Reese now has 505 rebounds this season. Her 10 rebounds against the Sky on September 19 extended her single-season double-double record to 31.
In the race for Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Reese, are reigning MVP and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson and Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams. Williams, who finished second in the DPOY voting last season, is the primary anchor for the Valkyries’ defense, which is at the top of the league’s defensive ratings. On the other hand, Wilson leads the league in blocks and is fourth on the list for rebounds. The Aces are averaging the most blocks this season, with 4.9 per game. Wilson is a serious contender for her fourth DPOY award. But Reese’s name cannot be kept out of the conversation.
Angel Reese is now averaging 16.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season. She is third on the list for most steals averaged this season, after fellow Dream players Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada.
After this outing against the Sky, Atlanta has now moved half a game ahead of rivals Indiana Fever and is just half a game behind the Las Vegas Aces, who are third in the standings. Securing a place in the top four and the subsequent home-court advantage will be crucial for Karl Smesko’s team.
The Dream are hitting the right form at the right time, thanks to Reese’s fine form. They have now won nine of their last 11 games and are on a three-game winning streak. The current Atlanta squad has a good balance of defensive sturdiness and offensive prowess. Reese’s dominating presence in the paint is complemented by lethal shooters on the team such as Rhyne Howard.
In the previous game against the Sun, Howard became the player with the most three-pointers in a season, at 129.
The Dream now has four players averaging in the double digits in scoring, indicating that this team is not built around just one player. To provide depth and leadership, they have also added veteran DeWanna Bonner to their squad.
Angel Reese and Co. will now take on the New York Liberty in their remaining two games. This would be an exciting matchup, as the Liberty are also in the playoff race and will be trying desperately to improve their seeding as well. But with the kind of form that Angel Reese and Co. are in at the moment, it will be hard to rule against them.