Angel Reese Praises Dream’s Basketball‑First Culture After Tumultuous 2 Years With Sky

Angel Reese has displayed her excitement of joining the Atlanta Dream at every step of the way since her opening press conference.

Angel Reese Praises Dream’s Basketball‑First Culture After Tumultuous 2 Years With Sky

Angel Reese is loving life in Atlanta (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Angel Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream, surprising fans who expected her to stay.
  • She praised the Dream's basketball-first culture, emphasizing a focus on player development without external pressures.
  • Reese expressed happiness in her new environment, feeling supported by her coach and teammates in pursuit of a championship.

Before the start of this offseason, fans felt that Angel Reese would return to the Chicago Sky, only to learn that the team traded her to the Atlanta Dream.

This came as a surprise because the Sky had reiterated after the curtains fell on the 2025 season that they had no intention of trading their best player.

It was believed that maybe the forward, the organization, and her teammates had patched up, and were looking forward to building on the goal they had last campaign.

But it seems her criticisms were a bit too much for the Sky to accept, and ended up negotiating a deal with the Dream that many believe ended up benefiting the latter more than it did for the Chicago-based franchise.

I haven’t had to think about anything other than basketball. That’s what you want as a professional.

Angel Reese told reporters

The 6’3″ forward added that when she was speaking with her new teammates before the trade, they had nothing but praise for their organization.

This is a major departure from the times when Angel Reese had to speak up for the Chicago Sky to take her and her teammates seriously. During her two seasons in Chicago, she tried her best to build it into a competitive team.

But there was more noise than expected, and most of it fell on her shoulders. Her answer also seems to suggest that, instead of her taking the brunt of it as she did with the Sky, the Dream makes sure its players do not have to worry about anything.

Angel Reese is enjoying her fresh start

Angel Reese was specific about the differences between her time with the Chicago Sky and now with the Atlanta Dream. But what reporters noticed was the sheer joy that was evident on the Maryland native’s face.

Angel Reese working out with new teammate Te-Hina Paopao
Angel Reese working out with new teammate Te-Hina Paopao (Image via AR5 Source/X)

Angel, she is just basking in the fresh start that she just has here in Atlanta. She is enjoying her time here… She wanted to be in a place that would challenge her as a player and really help her grow.

Kendra Andrews said on SportsCenter

The ESPN reporter noticed that the 23-year-old looked a lot like someone had their burden taken off their shoulders. Andrews reported that Angel Reese was enjoying her time there and just looked happy.

According to Kendra Andrews, what the two-time All-Star loves the most about her arrival at the Dream is how she and her head coach sat down and worked on a plan for her development.

It is not as if Tyler Marsh did not do that at the Sky. It is just that Reese is getting to focus on her development without having to handle the pressures of the outside world.

Angel Reese is already comfortable with her coach

Last season, Tyler Marsh pushed Angel Reese to get out of her comfort zone and develop into a playmaking forward. At this point, it is unclear if the Atlanta Dream wants her to continue working on that skill.

But at the same time, the superstar fashionista has been making it clear that she wants to be pushed to do things outside of her comfort zone.

It says that a coach really believes in me and what I can do, and he trusts my vision, as well as what his vision is. He’s obviously a player’s coach and wants to do what we can do collaboratively.

Angel Reese told Raphael Haynes

All these answers point to the fact that the LSU star is happy to be in Atlanta and work together with a group of like-minded individuals with their collective goal of winning a championship.

This goal was also there at the Chicago Sky. But unlike the Dream, Angel Reese does not have to solely talk about it and manage the team’s face at every turn.

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