What makes Angel Reese such a difficult opponent to face? For ESPN broadcaster Ryan Ruocco, the answer goes well beyond her ability to rebound or battle in the paint. It is her refusal to be intimidated, her willingness to challenge anyone on the court, and the defensive instincts that make her presence felt even when she is not scoring.
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“Angel Reese is a winner,” Ruocco said on the Road Trippin’ Show. “She is unafraid of every opponent. She’s unafraid of the moment. She talks smack to everybody. Nobody gets spared. No team, no player. That’s part of how she plays. She’s not afraid. She’s just always playing with that level of motor. Now, she’s also become more efficient as well. She’s the greatest rebounder this league has ever seen.”
“And then her defense, yesterday she was talking to us at shootaround about how when someone puts it down right to left, crossover in front of her, she knows you’re going to steal it. There’s an acumen there, and there’s a fearlessness that she plays with. And I think that is so key. And I think when you have players like that on your team, that lifts you up,” he added.
Those qualities are proving crucial for the Atlanta Dream, who have moved within one victory of the WNBA Finals after opening up a 2-0 semifinal lead against the New York Liberty. In those first two games, the newly crowned 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year has combined hyper-efficient scoring, elite defensive disruption, and clutch situational awareness in equal measure.
Game 1 saw her deliver 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals, and three blocks; seven combined stocks in a single playoff game. And she still managed to shoot an efficient 6-of-10 from the floor, including knocking down a three-pointer, which is not a characteristic element of her offensive game.
Her Game 2 performance was even more significant. She set a new playoff career high with 23 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks. She also went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and led the Dream with a team-high plus-minus of +11, meaning Atlanta outscored the Liberty by 11 points with her on the floor.
Most notably, Reese was at her best when the game went to overtime. She scored six of Atlanta’s 13 points in the extra period without missing a single shot, making two field goals and then icing the game with composed free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining.
Reese’s performances throughout the playoffs, particularly in the semifinals, have attracted praise from analysts, fans, and notable figures across the WNBA. WNBA Today host Noa Dalzell even described her as a series-changing player for the Dream. And definitely, if she maintains this level in Game 3, and the Dream perform as a collective, Atlanta has a very real chance of making this a 3-0 sweep and marching straight into the Finals.
Noa Dalzell Names Angel Reese as Atlanta Dream’s Series-Changing Player Against New York Liberty
Angel Reese has built a reputation as the most dominant rebounder the WNBA has seen in recent history, and she has backed it up with the records she has accumulated throughout the season. But her impact in the ongoing semifinal series against the Liberty has extended well beyond the glass. And for Noa Dalzell, host of WNBA Today on CLNS, that broader impact makes her the defining player of this series for the Dream.
“The series-changing player, I thought it was Angel Reese,” Dalzell said. “Once again, her stat line is remarkable. I’m not trying to just come on here and glaze Angel Reese every episode, but if you are someone who just values winning and impacting winning. I watch Angel Reese play, and it’s not just the rebound she secures; it’s the commotion she causes underneath the basket that allows her teammates to get rebounds.”
“Naz Hillmon, Rhyne Howard, they’re able to secure rebounds when Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are on the floor because Angel Reese causes that havoc underneath the basket, because everybody knows that she is going to go for every single rebound,” Dalzell added.
Angel Reese will lead the Dream against the New York Liberty once again on Friday night in Game 3. The goal is straightforward: finish the sweep and secure a place in the WNBA Finals.
However, even if the Dream fail to close out the series in Game 3, they will still have a significant advantage, as they have history on their side. No team in WNBA history has ever overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series.