Angel Reese has given the Atlanta Dream a new dimension during their remarkable postseason run, earning praise from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham as the forward's impact continues to grow.
Cunningham highlighted Atlanta's defensive intensity and Reese's influence as the Dream booked their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013, carrying intrigue given the former’s connection to Caitlin Clark.
Clark is Reese's former college rival and current Fever teammate and their history has attracted considerable attention with some very bitter moments.
But Cunningham's assessment of Atlanta focused on what Reese and her teammates have accomplished on the court ahead of the WNBA Finals.
“Atlanta has been good all season long,” Cunningham said to the No Hesitation podcast. “Their defense has been very good all season long, but they had another level. They stepped it up for the playoffs.
“Look at Angel right there. No one had any space to even breathe. And I think that truly matters, especially with a Washington team that they get a lot of stuff in transition.
“They’re energy players, and they couldn’t. They didn’t have the energy because Atlanta was all over them.”
Reese's arrival in Atlanta followed two frustrating seasons with the Sky, where rebuilding struggles and disappointing results overshadowed her individual development as Chicago won only 13 games during her rookie campaign.
The team's failure to return to the playoffs in 2025 intensified concerns about the direction of the franchise and the Sky had attempted to strengthen their roster by acquiring Ariel Atkins and bringing in veterans including Courtney Vandersloot, Rebecca Allen and Kia Nurse.
However, the expected improvement never materialized as Reese publicly expressed frustration with the continued losing and was suspended for half a game before an injury kept her out for the remainder of her time with Chicago.
Her move to Atlanta offered a fresh opportunity, and she has made the most of it. The Dream swept the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the opening round before eliminating the New York Liberty 3-0 to secure their place in the Finals.
And Reese was recently named Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks across five playoff games as her defensive versatility has helped Atlanta disrupt opposing offenses, while her work on the offensive glass has created additional scoring opportunities.
She averaged 3.6 offensive rebounds per game during the first two playoff series, alongside 18 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 38.5% from three-point range.
Her improved finishing and growing confidence as a perimeter shooter have made her more difficult to defend and gives the Golden State Valkyries a tough challenge to contend with in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.