The Atlanta Dream are two wins away from their first franchise title, and if you’re not paying attention to how Angel Reese got them here, you’re missing the whole story. Seriously. They are flat out *undefeated*, 9-0 in the regular season and 6-0 in the playoffs, every single time Reese sinks a 3-pointer. That’s 15-0 when she connects from deep, and it’s all thanks to a transformation nobody saw coming.
From “Green Light” to “Game Changer”
Remember back in late April? Reese had just been traded from the Sky, making her Dream debut in a preseason game back in Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. Coach Karl Smesko himself was under the basket, arms folded, laser-focused on her jumper. Head coaches usually delegate that stuff, right? But Smesko was there because something big was brewing. He told everyone, “She has the green light to take open 3s right now.” He warned it’d be a process, saying he was “very impressed with the progress that she’s made already in practice” but that comfort in games would “take some time, so hopefully people will be patient with that.” He knew that whenever you’re trying something new, “there’s a time period it takes to really feel comfortable in it to where you’ll use that during the game rather than your old habits.”
The Shot That Broke Defenses
Fast forward six months, and “patience” is the understatement of the year. Smesko’s belief and Reese’s grind? They’ve completely changed the game. The Dream’s dominant win over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA Finals saw Reese knock down two crucial 3s. She’s not just making threes, she’s draining them at an incredible 47.1% in the playoffs, going 8 of 17 from deep! That’s as many as DeWanna Bonner and more than Naz Hillmon. She’s got the *best* 3-point percentage of anyone in the Dream’s rotation. Think about that for a second. All season, defenses dared her to shoot, letting her stand out there while they clogged the paint. It worked, even after the All-Star break when she started showing flashes. But now? In the playoffs, she’s punishing them. She’s hit at least one 3 in five of six semifinals games, even tying her career high with two triples *twice*.
This isn’t just a player improving; this is a star completely redefining her game at the absolute perfect moment. Coach Smesko himself said Thursday, after practice, that Reese “very well might be the most improved player from the beginning of the season to right now.” And you can see why. The Dream are on the cusp of history, two wins away from their first championship, and Angel Reese, the player they dared to shoot, is the one holding the keys. You gotta wonder, can anyone stop this momentum?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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