For much of her young WNBA career, Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese has faced criticism over almost every aspect of her game. Her finishing around the rim and her rebounds with the infamous “mebounds” narrative, among others, have captured headlines. But after delivering arguably her best performance of the 2026 season, Reese has earned praise from one of the greatest players in WNBA history, who believes she has addressed those flaws through steady improvement.
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Speaking on the Sway’s Universe podcast, WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper applauded the Atlanta Dream star‘s remarkable development, describing Reese as the “epitome of a professional player” for the steady improvements she has made since entering the league.
“Can we give a shoutout to Angel Reese. ‘Cos, what Angel Reese has done is, she’s just gotten better. Everyone complained about the ‘Mebounds,’ she just got better. She starts finishing around the rim, she’s taking you off the dribble, she’s perfecting her three-point shot,” Cooper stated. “She is the epitome of a professional player who comes into the league one way with one skill set and adds to that skill set, and gets better every single season. That’s what you are seeing now in the WNBA.”
The growth Cooper described was perfectly apparent in the Atlanta Dream’s victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday. Reese finished with a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds, while also adding three steals and two assists. She was remarkably efficient throughout the contest as well, shooting 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 (100%) from the free-throw line.
The real takeaway from that performance, however, went far beyond the statistics or even her efficiency. It was the confidence that Reese displayed in other areas of her game. She was pushing the tempo herself rather than waiting patiently in the paint for the offense to come to her. She also scored a three-pointer.
And perhaps that was the biggest moment she had in the game. Both teams were tied at 87-87, and with less than five minutes remaining, Reese calmly knocked down a three-pointer to put the Dream back in front.
Shooting from beyond the arc was never considered one of Reese’s greatest strengths. In fact, she had made just two three-pointers all season before that shot. Knocking it down in such a crucial moment was another indication of the work she has been putting into expanding her game. Dream head coach Karl Smesko also confirmed afterwards that Reese has been putting in the extra work to improve her perimeter shooting.
Reese will be back on the court on Friday night when the Dream takes on the Toronto Tempo. After producing her most complete performance of the season and earning high praise from Cynthia Cooper, she will be hoping to build on that momentum with another standout display.
WNBA Legend Cynthia Cooper Drafts Angel Reese Into Her All-Star Team
It appears Cynthia Cooper has developed quite an appreciation for Angel Reese. And, more importantly, the player she is becoming. After recently praising Reese’s growth and calling her the “epitome of a professional player” on a podcast, Cooper backed up those words with her actions by drafting the Atlanta Dream forward onto her team for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
As part of the league’s 30th-season celebration, the WNBA introduced a new All-Star format that replaced the active player-captain system with two Hall of Fame pioneers taking charge. Instead of current players selecting the rosters, WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon served as honorary general managers and drafted the teams for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
Based on the fan voting, Angel Reese was a reserve for this year’s All-Star Game. And when it came time to draft the reserves, Cooper did not hesitate to recruit Reese to her team. In fact, she quickly selected Reese with her very first reserve pick, denying Weatherspoon the opportunity to reunite with the forward she previously coached during their time together at the Chicago Sky.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, July 25. And all signs point to Cooper enjoying the opportunity to coach a player she has emphatically praised for the steady improvements she has made throughout her young WNBA career.