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Why was Angel Reese singled out before Atlanta’s playoff opener?

Prior to their opening postseason contest against Washington, the Atlanta Dream honored standout performers Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard. Leader Karl Smesko temporarily halted team preparations to celebrate Reese claiming the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year honor and both players securing All-AP Second Team selections.

Reese capped a historic debut campaign in Atlanta by leading the league in rebounding at 12.1 per contest, setting single-season benchmarks for total and offensive boards, and securing 32 double-doubles across 43 appearances.

Alongside those achievements, Reese became the first WNBA athlete to corral 500 rebounds in a single regular schedule, highlighted by a league-record 26 boards during an August victory against Los Angeles. Teammate Howard shared the pregame spotlight after delivering 17.7 points per night, tying the league record with 100 steals and establishing a new standard with 134 successful three-pointers.

Those collective milestones propelled Atlanta to a 30-14 regular season record, the fourth seed, and home-court advantage for the opening round of the playoffs.

Up nextWNBA· 10h ago

Atlanta Dream celebrate Angel Reese after AP Defensive Player of the Year honor