Averaging 15.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season, Angel Reese is a player the Atlanta Dream hope will lead them to a championship. But after she took a nasty fall against the Seattle Storm and limped off the floor, concern around her health quickly replaced the optimism. And her latest appearance has only added to those worries.
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Though she was initially listed as “Questionable,” with a “lower leg” injury, the 24-year-old was officially ruled out just before tipoff against the Portland Fire. And if that wasn’t concerning enough, Reese arrived on the sidelines wearing a boot on her right leg.
Yet the worst part is that there still isn’t any clarity on the severity of her injury. In fact, the latest update remains the one Dream head coach Karl Smesko gave shortly after Angel Reese exited the Seattle matchup, admitting the team was still waiting to learn more about the injury.
“I really don’t have any idea,” he said back on Thursday. “I’m sure she’s getting it evaluated and trying to get it checked out right now. But nobody’s given me like an update of any severity or where we are with that.”
So while the Dream are yet to provide a positive update, her absence was certainly felt on the court as Atlanta slumped to its 10th loss of the season.
The Atlanta Dream entered this matchup with a 13-9 record, looking to build on the momentum from their win over Seattle after a 5-game losing streak.
However, many of the same problems, like missing open looks and defensive lapses, resurfaced in the game. The Fire shot 60% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc. Whereas the Dream was only limited to 44% from the FG and 20% from the three-pointer line.
“I think we’re at a point where we know we have things that we have to correct,” Naz Hillmon said. “We know that we have it in there; it’s just a matter of, like we talked about before the game, putting together 40 minutes.”
As Angel Reese missed her first game of the season, fans got a glimpse of what the Dream team looks like without their star forward. So while Hillmon remains confident that Atlanta has what it takes to turn things around, the team’s immediate priority will be getting Reese back to full health.
Until there’s a clearer update on her injury, the sight of the All-Star in a walking boot is likely to remain a major concern for both the franchise and its fans.