Angel Reese’s first home game for the Atlanta Dream ended with a thud. The Dream sold out State Farm Arena for Sunday’s debut, but Reese finished with one made shot, eight turnovers and a lost shoe in an 85-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces that was sealed only after Atlanta’s comeback fell just short.
The forward, who started her career with the Chicago Sky before an offseason trade to Atlanta, played like someone still trying to find her footing with a new team. Reese missed six layups, shot one for eight from the floor, missed her only 3-point attempt and finished minus-13 while grabbing eight rebounds. Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko effectively benched her when the Dream were down by double digits, a sign of how quickly the game got away from a team expecting more from its most recognizable player.
That was a sharp turn from the energy around the building before tipoff. Reese arrived in a leather outfit one media outlet likened to Catwoman energy, and the crowd at State Farm Arena came ready for the debut that had been waiting since the offseason trade. She had already given Atlanta one strong outing in a 77-72 win over the Dallas Wings, when she went four for eight from the floor and pulled down 16 rebounds, and her first game with the Dream against the Minnesota Lynx produced 11 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Before Sunday’s game, Reese also said of the matchup, “She’s obviously a great player...but I know I’m a great player too.”
But the numbers from her first three games in Atlanta tell a different story. Reese has gone nine for 27 from the field, missed both of her 3-point attempts, and piled up 16 turnovers and 11 fouls while collecting 38 rebounds and five blocks. The Dream have been outscored by 15 points with Reese on the court this season, which is the kind of split that can quickly change the way a team uses its biggest name.
That is the tension Atlanta now has to manage. Reese remains a magnet for attention, and she can still fill an arena on a Sunday night. But the Dream did not trade for theater alone, and their early returns with her on the floor are pointing to a bigger question than one missed layup or one lost shoe: how long can Atlanta wait for the production to match the spotlight?
