Every once in a while, a single playoff run breaks the standard timeline of player development, if there can ever be any such timeline. It happened in 2006 when Dwyane Wade went from a budding star to an undisputed top-tier force by willing the Miami Heat past the Dallas Mavericks. Right now, Angel Reese is pulling off the modern equivalent. Going toe-to-toe with one of the league’s most suffocating defenses, Reese hasn’t just elevated her team—she has expanded her game in real time. We are watching an elite winner arrive years ahead of schedule. At least WNBA analyst David Dennis Jr. thinks so.
“So I don’t always like making these comps, but I’m gonna do it here because, to me, it’s just undeniable. So in 2006, you recall Dwyane Wade took the [Miami] Heat team to the Finals. And we all knew that Dwyane Wade was going to be great and was going to be somewhat of an impact player,” said David Dennis Jr. in an X post.
“But [in] those Finals, what he did where he carried that Heat team to beat Dallas. [He] was the best player on the Finals team. Won Finals MVP. We looked at him differently as a guy who could ascend to the best player in the league, top two, top three best players in the league. And Angel Reese is doing that right now.”
For Dennis Jr., Reese’s role within this Atlanta team has become much more pronounced than just providing coverage on defense.
“When these finals started, when these playoffs started, we looked at a great defender. Somebody who was an important part of this team, maybe the best player on the team. But right now, to put up 30 and 15 against one of the best defenses in the league, and to have improved so much around the rim with the handed finishes, finishing in traffic with the step-through, with a little bit of a euro shooting, shooting 40% from three in the playoffs. The stuff that she is doing right now is an ascension that is ahead of schedule and a reminder that winners just get better.”
After drawing flak for her second half outing in Game 1 of the Finals, Reese silenced all her critics with an emphatic Game 2 display, dropping 30 points and 16 rebounds, and in the process becoming the youngest player ever to drop at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a postseason game.
Reese has already won the DPOY this season, recording a league-high 12.1 rebounds per game. Though there is no denying Reese’s presence in the paint, the biggest leap in Reese’s game has come in her shooting and efficiency. This season, she has knocked down 250 of 554 field goals to post a 45.1% shooting clip, showing a much higher comfort level on volume.
While she isn’t an elite marksman yet, the mid-range and perimeter progression is evident: 10 shots converted on 52 tries from 20-24 feet, 26% (13-for-50) from short floater range, and a bump to 19.3% from 3-point territory on more than double the attempts (57 in 2026 vs. 22 in 2025).
This improvement has certainly helped Reese level the series against the Valkyries, and it would not be too surprising to see the Dream go all the way to their first title.
While Dennis Jr. wasted no time in drawing Reese’s comparison with Dwyane Wade, he is not alone in making big predictions for the Atlanta star.
Chuck Modi Makes A Bold Claim About Angel Reese
Angel Reese isn’t just making a case for Finals MVP right now—she’s forcing us to talk about regular-season MVP hardware down the line. Sports commentator Chuck Modi, never shy about backing Reese’s talent, took it a step further recently, claiming she’s only about two years out from turning in an undisputed MVP-caliber season.
“But her improvement is a real thing. She took her defense to an elite level this year, and in the second half of this year, her FG% improved from 41% to 48%. She’ll get better every year… As she continues to polish her offensive game, I think she is two years away from an MVP-type season,” Modi said.
Well, winning this series will certainly go a long way in boosting Reese’s claim to the MVP crown in the coming seasons. At just 24, Reese is far from done when it comes to improving her game. In her own words, “The job isn’t done.”