Atlanta Dream: Dirty South, Welcome Angel Reese, 'Bayou Barbie'

On a Monday morning, the WNBA community was both shocked and excited to hear the news that superstar Angel Reese had been traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream. In exchange, the Sky will receive the Dream’s first-round picks for the years 2027 and 2028. Additionally, the Dream will have the option to swap their second-round picks with Chicago in 2028, as stated in the press release—thrilling news for Atlanta Dream fans and the entire women’s basketball world. The announcement of Reese joining Atlanta was the talk of the day, bringing celebrations across the community.

Angel Reese: Dream “Barbie”

Reese’s two-year tenure with Chicago was exceptional, making history as a young forward and powerhouse. Even though it didn’t work out with the Sky, Reese left a footprint in Chicago. The fans and the Chicago community will miss her dearly. In two years, Angel’s resume speaks for itself and this is the type of excitement she will bring to Atlanta. She is not only going to have an impact on the court, but also off the court with her several business endeavors.

Business will be booming in Atlanta with Reese in town.

Reese’s Resume With the Chicago Sky

• Drafted No. 7 Overall in 2024
• WNBA All-Rookie Team
• Two-time Total Rebound Champion
• Two-time All-Star
• Most Consecutive Double-Doubles (15)
• Most Offensive Rebounds in a single season (172)
• Two-time WNBA Rebounding Leader (2024 and 2025)
• WNBA Single-Season Rebounding Record (13.1) in the 2024 season
• Most Double-Doubles through a player’s first two seasons (49)
• Most Single-Season Double-Doubles by a rookie (26)

*Data collected from Basketball-Reference.

Reese delivered a stellar performance during her two years in a Chicago uniform. Furthermore, she is a skilled facilitator with 173 assists, an effective defender with 88 steals and 36 blocks, and has excelled offensively by scoring 902 points in her first two years in the league.

The Atlanta Dream and Angel Reese’s Impact

Karl Smesko, the head coach of the Atlanta Dream, faces significant challenges ahead of the 2026 season. The majority of players in the league are either unrestricted or restricted free agents, which includes Atlanta’s core group. Atlanta’s core group is the following: Allisha Gray (UFA), who was cored by Atlanta this week; Rhyne Howard (RFA), the Dream extended a qualifying offer to retain her; Jordin Canada, Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner are all unrestricted free agents, meaning they have the choice to either stay or leave the team.

Reese’s trade to the Dream positively changes things in Atlanta, which means Canada, Jones and Griner most likely will re-sign with the team if it is under the salary cap. Coach Smesko has a potential rotation lineup to play with, if the core group decides to stay. With a starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Reese, and Jones, the Dream could make a significant impact during the 2026 season. The rotation could transition from Jones to Griner, and having both Griner and Reese on the floor together could be a powerful strategy for Atlanta.