Atlanta’s Angel Reese surely will be at the top of the New York Liberty’s scouting report this week.
The Liberty (26-16) are set to host the Dream (28-14) on Monday and again on Wednesday, closing out the regular season. Both teams are in the playoffs, with final seeding still to be determined.
Reese has enjoyed an impressive season, breaking WNBA records for rebounds in a game (26), rebounds in a season (505), double-doubles (31) in a season and offensive rebounds in a season (201).
Reese is tall at 6-foot-4, but there are players bigger than her in the league. She relies on a relentless motor and great positioning.
Dream coach Karl Smesko also is hyping Reese as a strong candidate for WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
“I think her case is as good as anyone’s,” Smesko said.
Reese is averaging 16.6 points and 12.3 rebounds — including 4.9 offensive boards — 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Shooting is her weakness as she averages just 45.2% on field goals and 20.8% on 3-pointers.
As a team, the Dream have won three straight games. They’re 15-4 in their past 19 games, and they haven’t lost consecutive games since early July.
The Liberty are 1-0 against the Dream this season, winning 104-90 in Atlanta on June 11. Reese was the leading scorer in that game (25), and she added nine rebounds.
While all eight WNBA playoff teams have clinched their spots, exact seeding is not yet known, and the Liberty could pass the Dream if they sweep these two games. The Dream enter their two-game set
New York has won three straight games overall, including a 106-69 victory at Toronto on Sunday afternoon.
The Liberty, who are 14-6 at home, are monitoring the workload of their leading scorer, Breanna Stewart, who ranks sixth in the league in minutes played. In addition, Stewart just got back from the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany, where she earned a gold medal and the MVP trophy.
On Friday, Stewart played 38 minutes and scored a team-high 24 points as the Liberty recorded a 93-81 win over Minnesota, the top team in the WNBA. In that game, Stewart moved past Sue Bird for ninth place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.
“I have to pass Sue in something,” Stewart joked. “I’m not going to pass her in assists.”
On Sunday, Stewart scored 27 points in 22 minutes, moving past Cappie Pondexter for eighth place, and, for the season, she’s averaging 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals.
If there’s a concern for the Liberty, it’s four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu. She’s averaging 14.8 points for the season but just 8.0 points over her past four games.
–Field Level Media
