Angel Reese walked into Sunday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Aces with a type of self-confidence every athlete should have. Because what franchise would want a player who didn’t think they were the best? Before tip-off, the Atlanta Dream star openly praised A’ja Wilson during a pregame interview while also backing her own game at the same time.

“She’s obviously a great player,” Reese said about the four-time MVP. “But I know I’m a great player too. And I can guard her well.”

Under normal circumstances, those comments probably would not have turned into a major story. But once the game started, things quickly went sideways for Reese, and the internet wasted absolutely no time piling on.

So, as the criticism continued spreading against Angel Reese across social media, former Atlanta Dream star Angel McCoughtry stepped in with some blunt advice for Reese moving forward.

“Don’t do no interviews no more before the game,” McCoughtry said during the latest episode of Court Vision.

At first, these comments sound harsh. But McCoughtry’s point had less to do with Reese’s confidence and more to do with the nonstop attention surrounding her every move.

When her co-host pointed out that the league’s media rights obligations often require players to participate in pregame interviews, McCoughtry still doubled down and argued that Reese needs protection from the constant outside noise.

“Limit the social media,” McCoughtry added. “I would say listen before the game – I don’t want to talk to press, I’m in a different situation than most girls I need to focus on in this game. Talk to the press after. If Atlanta needs to pay the fine, pay it for this girl so she can get focused and get away from all this energy and everybody pulling at her so she can have a good ass game. She’s not saying nothing wrong.”

See, the Dream did lose the game 85-84 to the defending champion, and Angel Reese struggled through one of her roughest performances of the young season. But she did not disrespect Wilson. She did not call herself better. She simply showed confidence in herself while acknowledging one of the league’s biggest stars. But because her performance failed to back up the comments, the clip instantly became social media ammunition.

She finished the night shooting just 1-for-8 from the field, missed her only three-point attempt, and committed eight turnovers. Ironically, she also grabbed eight rebounds, meaning she finished with as many turnovers as boards. On the other hand, Wilson dominated once again with 20 points and six rebounds on efficient shooting.

But it is also important to remember that this was just one off game. Out of the three games the Dream have played so far, they have won two of them, and a huge credit for that goes to the 24-year-old star. In them, she averaged 11.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

So while critics focused heavily on one rough performance, the Dream franchise continues to view her as the face of its future.

Atlanta Isn’t Backing Away From Angel Reese

While social media spent most of Sunday night clowning Reese, the Atlanta Dream organization has made one thing very clear – they remain fully invested in her future.

Dream president Morgan Shaw Parker recently revealed that when the news of Reese joining their franchise first broke, even the team employees erupted in celebration.

“It was a party in the office,” Shaw Parker admitted.

But it is worth noting that the excitement had little to do with just basketball.

Atlanta believed Reese perfectly matched the identity they want to build moving forward – both culturally and competitively. Alongside stars like Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Jordin Canada, the Dream viewed Reese as another foundational piece capable of elevating the organization to the championship contender status.

“Her persona, her style of play, and what she brings from a cultural perspective, and her personality just fit right in here,” Shaw Parker explained. “We all know that Angel brings a completely different level of cultural significance to this team.”

“She’s young, she’s hungry, she wants to be coached, and she wants to be supported. And I think Atlanta, from Karl Smesko to that core group of players surrounding her, she knew she would have that,” the president further added.

And that belief has already shown itself. So even with Sunday’s rough outing dominating headlines, Angel Reese has still averaged a double-double through her first two games while continuing to impact games with her rebounding, physicality, rim protection, and energy.

Now, her focus will be on the next game, where she will lock horns with the Dallas Wings on May 22nd.