Angel Reese admits it’s ‘rough’ for her when she isn’t scoring well

May 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) celebrates a basket against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Angel Reese made her debut for the Atlanta Dream on Saturday in a 91-90 win over the Minnesota Lynx. Reese, who spent the first two seasons of her WNBA career with the Chicago Sky before being traded to Atlanta in the offseason, sealed the victory with a game-sealing block

It wasn’t 40 minutes of smooth sailing for Reese, however. A lot of the criticism surrounding the All-Star has revolved around her inefficient scoring numbers, and she struggled again on Saturday. Reese finished the contest with 11 points, but went just 4-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-6 from the charity stripe.

At Tuesday’s shootaround, ahead of a game with the Dallas Wings, Reese talked about her first game with the Dream.

“I mean, it was obviously rough, rough for me personally, but just being able to fight on both ends of the floor is something that I always know,” Reese said. “If the shot is not falling, I can get it back on defense, but I know I’ll have a better night tonight.

“But my team always believes in me. They put a lot of confidence into me. My coaches put a lot of confidence into me and just compelled me to keep going and keep going. And just being able to have a sister that really has your back is really important. I really appreciate it.”

Reese is certainly right about the value of her defensive presence. Once she puts it all together on the offensive side of the ball, she could be as dominant a force in the league as Las Vegas Aces star .