Angel Reese's recent tear has a simple explanation according to Dream coach
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A four-point loss to the Indiana Fever on Aug. 16 appears to have lit a fire under Angel Reese.
The Atlanta Dream star has since taken it upon herself to power a run of eight wins from nine games, with six of those wins coming by at least 10 points.
Over that stretch, Reese has played arguably the best basketball of her three-year career. She extended her double-double streak to 10 consecutive games on Monday, when her 18 points and 10 rebounds helped Atlanta to a 95-84 win over the New York Liberty, a vital win in the WNBA's playoff chase.
FUN STAT: Only five times in WNBA history has a player recorded a double-double in at least 10 consecutive games.
ā I talk hoops š (@trendyhoopstars) September 22, 2026
Angel Reese is responsible for three of those five streaks. šŖ pic.twitter.com/P5NLuLqrmW
In the past nine games, Reese has averaged 20.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists, fulfilling the potential she flashed in her two years with the Chicago Sky.
Reese's trade out of Chicago five months ago might well have saved her career. The Sky is heading for the draft lottery again; Reese and the Dream are a serious contender to win a WNBA championship.
MORE:Ā Angel Reese helps Dream push Liberty into dangerous WNBA playoff position
It didn't always look this easy or straightforward for Reese, though. Coming to Atlanta in April in exchange for two first-round draft picks, Reese was walking into a new locker room to play for her third head coach in as many professional seasons.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko and his staff worked on overhauling Reese's shooting mechanics upon her arrival, and the results have improved every month: Reese is averaging a career-high 16.6 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. In 2025, she shot 45.8 percent from the floor in Chicago.
"I think she feels a lot more comfortable now within what we do than the first 10 to 15 games," Smesko said after the Dream's win on Monday. "She's just gotten better as a basketball player because she's worked at it, and she feels more comfortable in the system that she's in now."
I thought this was a great point that Karl Smesko made about Angel Reese having to learn a new system every year since she was rookie as he explains why he thinks Angel has taken her game to another level. pic.twitter.com/DXmu8FSHCk
ā Natalie Esquire (@natfluential) September 22, 2026
That system in Atlanta boasts a top-five offense as well as a top-five defense, making the Dream one of only three teams to rank within the top five in efficiency on both ends.
Reese has made a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year honors at season's end, and it would be a just reward for the way she has leveled up her game in 2026.
Elevated around All-Stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, Reese is enjoying her best season to date, and the Dream look very dangerous with the WNBA playoffs just around the corner.