Oct 17, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) gestures to teammates between plays against the Golden State Valkyries during the first quarter of game one of the 2026 WNBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Landon Kardian Mon, October 19, 2026 at 6:03 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angel Reese has faced nonstop criticism throughout her career, but leading Atlanta to its first WNBA championship could completely change her legacy.
Love her or hate her, Angel Reese is doing something that plenty of her critics never believed she could accomplish.
Ever since entering the league, Reese has been one of the most polarizing athletes in basketball. Critics have questioned her offensive abilities, mocked her shooting percentages and argued that she's more famous for her personality than her actual production.
But now, those same critics have to watch her compete on basketball's biggest stage.
After joining the Atlanta Dream, Reese has established herself as one of the league's premier defensive players, winning the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award and helping transform Atlanta into a championship contender.
And here's what makes this story even more interesting: Reese has an opportunity to deliver the first WNBA championship in Atlanta Dream history.
Sure, Reese still has weaknesses offensively. Her finishing around the basket can be inconsistent, and she isn't going to dominate games with her outside shooting.
Reese brings elite rebounding, relentless energy, physical defense and an attitude that Atlanta desperately needed. She's the type of player opponents hate facing but teammates love having beside them.
Now, with the Dream battling Golden State in the WNBA Finals, Reese has a chance to add another major accomplishment to an already impressive résumé.
A championship wouldn't suddenly make every criticism disappear. But it would make it much harder to dismiss her impact on winning.
The same player people spent years calling overrated could become the face of Atlanta's next championship team.
And that might be the one storyline Angel Reese's biggest critics don't want to see become reality.
Source: Sports
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