As for the box score, Angel Reese’s Atlanta Dream debut didn’t go as planned.
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It’s just preseason, and in Reese’s unofficial debut with the Dream, Atlanta beat his former team on Wednesday. But the 87-78 victory over the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena saw Reese struggle to score efficiently, a problem that has arisen at various points in his still young career.
FURTHER: Angel Reese hasn’t fixed obvious problem after Sky’s switch to Dream
In 13 minutes against the Sky, Reese scored eight points on 2-of-7 shooting and missed four of her eight free throw attempts. However, he also had three steals and two assists without turning the ball over.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko came away optimistic about what Reese will bring to an Atlanta team seeking a championship in 2026.
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“She’ll be all over the court, and we’ll have to use her in different positions,” Smesko said Wednesday. “That wasn’t something we really tried today. Today we tried to play without plays.”
Smesko reminded fans and media that Reese is still getting to know her new teammates and is also playing center while Brionna Jones recovers from knee surgery. Reese’s position is not fixed and Smesko believes the quality of her teammates’ shots will only improve with more time.“This is always a little more difficult and time-consuming,” Smesko explained. “So that’s what we mainly did today. She was willing to shoot 3-pointers, drove (to the rim), got offensive rebounds (and) had several steals.”
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