- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,244,602
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Dream’s Angel Reese reveals how ‘Thunder twins’ led to win vs. Storm appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
COLLEGE PARK – The Atlanta Dream have shown throughout the season that it can be anybody’s game on any given night. Two nights ago, it was Allisha Gray who put the dagger into the Dallas Wings and led the team to a miraculous comeback win.
Tonight, it was more than one person. Angel Reese and Naz Hillmon led the way for the Dream, helping defeat the Seattle Storm 98-89. The game plan was set from the start, and the frontcourt duo worked from inside-out and even formed a nickname in the process of having a standout performance.
“Thunder twins were activated,” Reese said after the game. “Karl (Smesko) emphasizes a lot how valuable we’re going to be. We knew that they were gonna hedge Rhyne (Howard) a lot, so just kind of being available and picking our spots. These are shots that we work on every single day. You can see how much Karl worked with Naz last year, and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Atlanta.”
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
Reese and Hillmon combined to shoot 4-of-10 from the 3-point line, and the former knocked down both of her shots in the fourth quarter as the Storm tried to make their run.
“It feels good to see her make it because she’s capable and she’s been improving, and I think within the last week, we really started breaking it down on film and it really kind of clicked with her. She just looked a lot more comfortable with the release today,” Smesko said.
There’s an argument that those twins could’ve turned into triplets, as Brionna Jones added 14 points and did her work in the paint as well. With a rotation of Reese, Hillmon, and Jones, it could be hard for any frontcourt to contain them.
“I’m glad I’m on this side of things now being able to have Bri on our team, but there’s just so many different weapons from all three of us, and also Madina (Okot) as well, where we can score so many different places,” Reese said. “We know when Bri is in, we have the advantage inside, and we try to get it into her inside.
“We know the pick and pop with Naz, and me just trying to figure out where I can get in and help lead the team and just bring as much energy as I can.”
The Dream had control for the first half, but as the story has been with most of their recent games, the opposition tends to sneak back in during the second half. For the most part, the Dream have been able to weather the storm, and that’s what they did when Seattle made their run in this one.
“There was a point in the game where it might have gotten to like four points, and we were able to pick it back up and stretch it back out to 10,” Naz Hillmon said. “We kind of play this game of letting teams come close to closing in and then reset and then stretching out the lead, but it just shows that when we’re on, we’re on, and we can really get it going quickly.”
These types of games have shown that the Dream are resilient, and they have the talent on the team to turn a short lead into a big lead within a matter of time.
“We know when we’re good, and we just got to be relentlessly pursuing that type of basketball,” Smesko said. “I think our players recognize it. You compete on the defensive end, you’re running in transition, every single possession. They want to push the ball, and you’re trying to find yourself a minute, but there’s really no minute to be had.”
It doesn’t get easier for the Dream, with their next game being against the Las Vegas Aces. The last time they saw each other was at the beginning of the season, where the Dream almost pulled off a huge comeback late to win.
“Everybody has continued to get better, but just coming in with the mindset of wanting to win and doing whatever it takes to win, we want to be in conversations with the best of the best teams, and obviously they’re at the top because they’ve won championships, and we just want to make sure we match that energy,” Reese said.
Related: WNBA breaks silence on deleted Paige Bueckers-Angel Reese betting post
Related: Dream’s Angel Reese fires joke amid betting controversy with Paige Bueckers
Continue reading...
