Angel Reese didn’t move to Atlanta for an easy ride, and her new coach has no intention of giving her one. Karl Smesko’s perspective didn’t just outline how the hottest trade of the offseason will turn out. But it also reinforced Reese’s responsibility ceiling with the Dream. Now, the player of the moment herself has shared her two cents in this regard, remarking how she wants to use this added pressure and discomfort as fuel.

Speaking at a media availability session during her training camp, Reese reflected on Smesko’s assessment. She reveals how her equation with the latter has been forming and how she sees her coach’s expectations for her at the Atlanta Dream.

“It says that a coach really believes in me and what I can do, and he trusts my vision as well as what his vision is,” Reese said when asked about Smesko’s statement of taking inputs from Reese. “He’s obviously a player’s coach who wants to do what we can do collaboratively. So, he’s done a great job being able to incorporate that. We sat down before we even touched a basketball about the things that I can do and things that he wants to see me improve on.”

“And then we talked about it as a team today, talking about coachability. Like being able to be coachable is not just taking it. It’s about wanting it and just doing the things that you’re being told to do. So, I really wanna be coached and wanna be coached hard. And I want to be put in predicaments that make me uncomfortable to make me better at this level,” she added further.

It isn’t true that Reese had it easy at the Chicago Sky. In her two years at the franchise, the team was in a dismal position, missing the playoffs in both seasons. She had to play outside her comfort zone at times, leaning into both rebounding and scoring roles. Reese was basically the player the team looked up to whenever the pressure got to them.

But in Dream, her situation is different. With veterans like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray leading the charge, it is an opportunity for Reese, who can, in turn, focus on improving her skill set under coach Smesko and these top players. Now, it needs to be understood that with a major blockbuster trade for Reese, it will, of course, come with expectations from her.

The Atlanta Dream head coach’s assessment of taking inputs from her perfectly reflects his view of Reese in a leadership role. Furthermore, Smesko has also hinted that Reese will have to work on her shooting and improve it further. It suggests that he isn’t letting Reese loose on the roster. And it solidifies that the latter will have to work her way through to bring something more than just rebounding.

It’s a given at this point that Reese isn’t the most efficient shooter in the league, and her skill set lies on the glass (two-time WNBA Rebounding leader).

Her shooting from the field, boasting 42.8%, is quite mediocre. But her shooting from beyond the arc (18.4% in her career) is even more dismal. Thus, working with Smesko and the Dream coaching staff will push Reese towards the corridor of uncertainty and will eventually help her improve as a player. Of course, it puts added pressure on Reese. But as the ChiBarbie stated, that’s what she wants at this point: to be cornered into pressure and discomfort.

But Angel Reese’s move to the Atlanta Dream isn’t just about the pressure on the hardwood. It has come with a silver lining as well.

Angel Reese Outlines Perks of Playing for Atlanta Dream

For most, moving to a different franchise often comes with many caveats. New teammates and expectations tend to push back a player at least in the first few weeks in the team. But for Reese, the Atlanta Dream has become her natural habitat. In a recent conversation, ChiBarbie revealed what she likes most about her new team.

“I mean, just being able to come to the gym and be surrounded by great people,” Reese said. “I didn’t have to think anything about basketball, and that’s what you want as a professional. So, being able to be here and be everything so seamless. I mean, everything behind the scenes does an amazing job. You don’t have to worry about anything other than basketball, and that is something I really enjoy.”

With the rapport she has built with the Dream coaching staff, Reese won’t take long to thrive on this team. This is even more boosted by the fact that she doesn’t have any external pressure on her as she mentioned.

Angel Reese will tip off her Atlanta Dream stint on April 29 against her former team, the Chicago Sky. She will play another pre-season game against the Washington Mystics on May 3. And she will tip off the official season against the Minnesota Lynx on May 10.