Angel Reese made her home debut for the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center on Sunday as the team closed its preseason with a loss to the Washington Mystics. She faced a tough matchup against Kiki Iriafen during the contest and was outplayed under the rim, drawing criticism from WNBA fans.
A clip of Iriafen swatting Reese in the paint was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a handle, as their battle grabbed plenty of attention.
“Angel 🤣🤣🤣🤣,” the handle captioned the post.
In the video, Reese appeared to attempt a layup but was blocked at the rim by Iriafen, who knocked the ball out of the Dream star’s hands as she fell to the floor. The forward then appeared to sarcastically clap at Iriafen following the contact, leaving fans divided in their reactions.
Many criticized Reese for her shot selection, claiming she was unlikely to finish the move, while others pointed to her being blocked by Iriafen, who is only entering her sophomore season.
While some critics slammed Reese’s play, a few sided with the former Sky star, suggesting that Iriafen had actually fouled her during the defensive sequence.
The frontcourt battle was one of the many highlights of the game, as the two teams delivered an entertaining contest. The Dream led in the first quarter, but the Mystics quickly turned things around in the next two, outscoring Atlanta.
Despite the home team’s late rally in the final quarter, they were unable to cut the deficit, as the Mystics secured an 83-72 win.
The matchup served as the final preseason game for both teams, who will now hit the road for their season openers.
Dream headcoach highlights how he plans to utilize Angel Reese after a relatively quiet preseason
Angel Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream from the Chicago Sky during the offseason in one of the biggest blockbuster moves in the WNBA. However, her time in Atlanta has not gone according to plan, with the forward underwhelming in her first two preseason games.
Following their win over the Chicago Sky in their preseason opener, Dream head coach Karl Smesko reflected on Reese’s role in the team, highlighting his plans for the two-time All-Star.
“She’s going to be all over the floor, the stuff that we have to utilize her in different positions,” Smesko said. “That wasn’t really something that we were really trying for today. Today was trying to play without plays.”
While Reese has been underwhelming, it is important to note that she has averaged just 10.5 minutes in those two appearances.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
