By the tail-end of the 2025 season, it was amply clear that Angel Reese had reached her limit. And as expected of the flamboyant Bayou Barbie, it didn’t take long for the world to know about that discomfort, too. Demanding the Chicago Sky to get “good” (and “great”) players in September last year, the player took it up a notch when she even called out head coach Tyler Marsh. Perhaps Reese was being too honest for her own good. But at least that’s finally landed her with a team where she’s ready to embrace the discomfort this time.

“[Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko is] obviously a player’s coach who wants to do what we can do collaboratively,” Reese said during the WNBA Training Camp Press Conference this week. “He’s done a great job of incorporating 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.”

Interestingly, the player’s choice of words does raise some eyebrows.

Call it a coincidence or not, after the 23-year-old’s tell-all interview with the Chicago Tribune, the latter had famously noted how Reese “wants coach Tyler Marsh to coach players harder”. While repercussions from the front office came hard and fast, looking at the team’s predicament, the comment didn’t seem like an exaggeration to many.

In Reese’s two seasons with the franchise, the team struggled, missing the playoffs both years. The forward also had to play under two different head coaches during her time in the Windy City, which meant little to no continuity, constantly adjusting to contrasting coaching philosophies. 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. That’s not a good situation to be in, and evidently, Reese was losing patience.

“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese complained to the publication. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me…Watching Golden State—no offense, but I don’t think they’re more talented than us on paper. But they play hard as hell. So starting at the top, we’ve got to find an identity of what we’re going to be next year and then roll with the punches of what we can get.”

Notably, the Chicago Sky went all-in last offseason, adding Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins in what was supposed to be a win-now push, only to finish with just 10 wins. Frustration spilled over in her comments to the Chicago Tribune, which resulted in a half-game suspension for “statements detrimental to the team.” But things only got worse.

The tension was impossible to ignore in the Chicago Sky’s final game of 2025. Fans chanted for general manager Jeff Pagliocca to be fired, and courtside, a fan was seen wearing a “Free Angel” T-shirt. Even though Angel Reese had expressed her desire to run it back with the Sky, it was clear the front office was about to make the same mistake again.

By trading Reese, the franchise had once again failed to hold on to a star. Be it Sylvia Fowles, Elena Delle Donne, Gabby Williams, Candace Parker, or Kahleah Copper, all left after disagreements with the franchise, and now Angel Reese was next in line. The Atlanta Dream acquired Reese in exchange for their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The Dream will also receive the right to swap second-round picks with the Chicago Sky in 2028. Looks like a happy ending, especially for Angel Reese.

With veterans like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray leading the charge, it is an opportunity for the 23-year-old, 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.

It’s a given at this point that Angel Reese’s main skill set lies on the glass; she’s a two-time WNBA rebounding leader. But the past year also saw her grow significantly as a player.

In her first six games, 44 of her 61 shot attempts came from the restricted area, yet she converted just 31.8% of them, per CBS Sports. Among the top 10 players who took at least five shots there, that was the lowest percentage. And while she led the league with 7.3 attempts inside per game, consistent finishing remained an issue early on.  But that began to change as the season progressed.

According to journalist Karli Bell’s July 15 tweet, Angel Reese made a major leap as a finisher. Before her first injury of the season, she was converting 56.5% of her shots from within five feet, a huge jump from her early-season struggles. That improvement showed in her overall numbers too, as she finished with a career-high 45.8% from the field.

Add to that the fact that Angel Reese also grew as a playmaker last season, averaging a career-high 3.7 assists after being forced into a point-forward role when the Chicago Sky lost most of their guards to injury. Yes, there is still work to be done in refining her overall game. Handling primary playmaking duties for long stretches also saw her average 3.9 turnovers per game. But these are exactly the areas coach Smesko wants her to improve, as he looks to help her grow into a more complete 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.

It’s an added benefit that she will be under a coach who has drastically changed the fortunes of the franchise. Before Karl Smesko joined, the Atlanta Dream finished 11th in offensive rating (99.0), last in effective field goal percentage (45.2%), next to last in three-point percentage (30.8%), and among the bottom tier (ninth) in three-point attempt rate, as per the IX Sports.

In his very first season as head coach, coach Smesko set a WNBA record for the most wins by a first-year coach, while also turning the Atlanta Dream into the second-best offensive unit in the league. There’s a lot to look forward to for Angel Reese, and this could very well be the stint where she finally fulfills her desire for “more.”

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.