Atlanta Dream Coach Karl Smesko Addresses Angel Reese Decision

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Atlanta Dream Coach Karl Smesko Addresses Angel Reese Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Oct 17, 2026 8:55 AM ET

Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko highlighted the significance of his presence during Angel Reese’s shooting routines.

Since acquiring WNBA All-Star forward Reese in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Sky last offseason, Dream coach Smesko has taken a hands-on approach with her. One of their main routines involves Smesko personally joining Reese on the court during her pregame shootaround.

Ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries, the 56-year-old coach addressed his decision to regularly join Reese for shooting work.

“I thought it would be a good way for Angel and I to get to know each other a little bit and develop a relationship where we could spend some time together every day,” Smesko said. “And I thought that if we worked together, we could really improve her shot.”

The development for the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year winner has been evident, as her three-point and free-throw splits improved from the regular season to the playoffs. Reese is now shooting 38.5% from downtown and 87.1% from the charity stripe, up from 19.3% and 72.1% from the regular season.

karl smesko on why it’s important to him that he is the one on the court pregame working with angel reese on her shot pic.twitter.com/Eqmz2LFyrf
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) October 16, 2026

The three-time WNBA All-Star has firmly established herself as an elite rebounder and defender. However, she has now also shown encouraging progress from beyond the arc during the playoffs.

Smesko credited the work and commitment that Reese has put in to improve this aspect of her game, which has been integral to Atlanta’s WNBA Finals run.

“She’s put the time in, she’s rebuilt her shot from scratch from two weeks before the first game of the season, which is just remarkable that you’d even do that at that point,” Smesko added. “And she just deserves a lot of credit for the amount of effort that she’s put into making or expanding what she can do on the floor.”

The 6-foot-4 forward is looking to continue her strong play, as she tries to help the Dream secure their first WNBA title in franchise history.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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