Angel Reese’s defensive mindset is one of the primary reasons the Atlanta Dream are in the semifinals. The 24-year-old has put in the work every night, recording a league-leading 12.1 rebounds per game. To cap off a record-breaking season, she also won the WNBA Defensive Player Of The Year last week. For Reese, getting to this level has certainly not been an easy ride, but the 2026 DPOY’s recent comments reveal this is just the first step in what she aims to achieve as a basketball player.

WNBA analyst Nia Symone recently caught up with Reese before she and the Dream take on the New York Liberty on Sunday, and asked the guard about her mindset going forward. Reese’s answer just showed how much more she wanted from the game, per Symone’s post on X.

“I think it’s the energy. It’s the mindset of being able to do the things that not a lot of people want to do. Being able to sit down and guard somebody and give them hell every single night is the mindset. When I was at USA Basketball, I was joking with Kara [Lawson], I want somebody to say, ‘Damn, Angel guarded me tonight. Like, it’s going to be hell.’ It’s going to be hell for 40 minutes, and I’m not going to give that up. And that’s like work.

Reese has been in fine form all season, leading the Dream in both rebounds and blocks. She averaged 16.4 points apart from her league-high rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season. This capped off a stellar season in which she ranked third in total defensive boards, at 315, and set career highs by finishing third league-wide in both steals per game, at 1.8, and total steals, 77.

Reese was already doing a phenomenal job during her time with the Chicago Sky. She started all 30 games she played last season, and averaged 14.7 PPG and 12.7 RPG. Her move to the Dream and teaming up with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray has taken her game to the next level.

“You can’t teach that mindset. You can’t teach that work. You can’t teach that effort. And I think that [is] important to the team. Everybody else has that mindset as well. So I kind of wanted to do that when I came to Atlanta and give that edge, give that mindset, give that dog, give that toughness.”

While Reese realizes that she has not played that many games in the postseason, she is ready to bring the energy every night.

“Because right now I think, I mean, obviously I haven’t- I played two games in the playoffs. I’m not very experienced here, but I know I can bring that every single night.”

In the DPOY poll, she got 46 votes from a national panel of 74. Gabby Williams and A’ja Wilson finished second and third, respectively, and they are both still in the playoffs. Reese will have to face either of the two in the finals if the Dream can overcome the New York Liberty in the semifinals.

Reese truly does deserve to be named the DPOY. She set the WNBA single-season record for most rebounds, with 521 total rebounds, which includes a staggering 206 offensive rebounds. Reese also broke the league record for the most rebounds made in a single game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 24, when she grabbed 26 rebounds in a road victory.

Reese also became the first player to reach 500 rebounds in a single season, and now she turns her attention to the playoff semifinals as the Dream face Breanna Stewart and the Liberty.

Angel Reese Fired Up As The Atlanta Dream Prepare To Take On New York Liberty

The New York Liberty have already swept away the number one seed, the Minnesota Lynx, in this postseason. The manner in which the Liberty executed their 2-0 sweep certainly raised some eyebrows around the league, as the Lynx were thoroughly outplayed and outclassed in the two games.

The Lynx have consistently been a top side on both sides of the court throughout the regular season. However, Angel Reese doesn’t care about any of that, as she revealed on Saturday after a practice session.

“I don’t give a damn,” said Reese. “Nobody wants the Atlanta Dream in it. And we have that chip on our shoulder and we’re just gonna continue to fight through it.”

This is the first playoff trip for Angel Reese, and in her two games so far, she has averaged 14 PPG and 9.5 RPG. Sweeping aside a young, inexperienced Washington Mystics team was one thing; now they are up against a totally different team. But Reese is up for the challenge.

“Winning one series is not enough. Being able to turn the page- those are the teams that continue to advance. You can’t get too high, can’t get too low in these moments — just continuing to stick together. Nobody’s gonna give you anything. Everybody’s gonna come for you and come for our heads.”

The Dream won the game the last two times that faced the Liberty, and holds a 2-1 record over them in the regular season. Reese’s last game against the Liberty wasn’t great, though, as she managed to score only six points, shooting only 2-of-7 from the field. The usually efficient rebounder could grab just six boards. While Atlanta fans will certainly be pleased by their DPOY’s mindset, the Dream must exercise some caution here.

Although the New York Liberty are the lower seed, they have shown that seeding does not determine playoff outcomes. Led by Breanna Stewart, they have a an experienced floor general who has previously guided them through these intense postseason stages.

To complement Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu are also playing their part. Ionescu dropped 18 points and seven assists in the last game against the Lynx. And Jonquel Jones is already averaging 14.5 points and nine rebounds per game in this postseason.

So only time will tell who prevails in the Atlanta Dream-New York Liberty semifinals, as Game 1 will take place on Sunday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. ESPN has given the Dream a 63.3% chance of winning before the game, which Angel Reese and Co. will hope to make true.