Angel Reese played in Chicago on Wednesday evening for the first time since being traded to the Atlanta Dream on April 6 for two first-round draft picks.
The two-time All-Star, once pegged as a franchise pillar, will now serve that role for the Dream alongside Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon and Jordin Canada, all of whom signed multiyear contracts.
Wintrust Arena was lackluster in attendance, but when Reese took the court in the Dream’s 87-78 win over the Sky, the ovation she received was a reflection of the fan favorite she was for two seasons in Chicago. At the first timeout, the Sky played a tribute video that brought a number of fans to their feet.
In two seasons with the Sky, Reese averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds. Against her former team, Reese looked poised and confident, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists while playing just 12 minutes.
Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said pregame he intended to play his starters 15-20 minutes. He ultimately kept four of his five starters — Reese, Gray, Howard and Canada—on the bench for the entire second half.
Reese’s addition to Atlanta’s roster has heightened contender conversations around the franchise.
The Dream are one of a few teams that have roster continuity after re-signing Howard, Jones, Hillmon and Canada, the core that led Atlanta to a third straight postseason appearance. However, the Dream have never made it out of the first round during that run. Last year, they lost to a depleted Indiana Fever roster in the first round.
The trade for Reese, however, could be the move that gets them over the hump.
Smesko doesn’t care to characterize his team as a contender, but he’s aware of the outside expectations.
“It’s out there,” Smesko said pregame. “But I’m trying to get us to take a more condensed view of just getting better every day. We want to be the best at getting better, and hopefully, through the course of the season, we make the most improvement. If you’re lucky enough to make the playoffs, anything can happen. You just want to be in the best position to give yourself a chance. The way you do that is by focusing on things daily.”
The Sky are navigating a slew of injuries as the 2026 season approaches.
Their lengthy injury report included starting point guard Skylar Diggins, who was out due to personal reasons, as well as Azurá Stevens (knee), Courtney Vandersloot (knee), DiJonai Carrington (foot) and Elizabeth Williams (reconditioning). Stevens, Vandersloot, Carrington and Williams were all on the Sky’s bench Wednesday night, while Diggins was not with the team.
Without Diggins leading the offense, the Sky looked outmatched against the Dream’s starters. But regardless of the Sky’s absences, center Kamilla Cardoso’s limited output was an early indication that the team goes as she does. She finished with just three points while shooting 1-for-5 from the field and committing five turnovers. On the defensive end, she came away with two blocks, but was a step late protecting the rim.