The Atlanta Dream just can’t stop winning. Four in a row now, and it’s starting to feel like something real is clicking in Georgia. Not that anyone doubted the talent on this roster, but watching the pieces actually lock into place is a different thing entirely.
The frontcourt is where the biggest shift has happened. With Brionna Jones still working her way back from that meniscus injury, the Dream needed Angel Reese and Naz Hillmon to figure things out in a hurry. And they have.
Chemistry isn’t automatic, but they’re making it look that way
Karl Smesko has been watching this partnership develop all season, and he sees it in the small details.
“They work great together,” Smesko said. “They look for each other. They understand how to work together as bigs to make sure there’s space, and that if somebody you know drives, the other one can cut, look for opportunities, whether it be post-high-low or just post-ups.”
Reese has been the steadier presence through 16 games, putting up consistent production while Hillmon found her rhythm. That took a minute. Hillmon started the season fighting through a shoulder issue that messed with her release point, plus she missed a chunk of training camp. But the last few weeks look different.
“Naz has been playing great,” Smesko said. “The only reason she struggled early is she was kind of coming off the shoulder thing and kind of messed up the release point of her shot and didn’t have a full training camp. But, you see how well she’s playing right now.”
Hillmon won Sixth Player of the Year last season largely because she added a 3-point shot to her game. That wasn’t an easy transition. On the Pull Up with Myles and Owen podcast, she talked about what it took to get comfortable from deep.
“So it was like, okay, I’m doing something that I’ve never done in a system that I’m not used to,” Hillmon said. “First of all, it was finding the spots. Like I didn’t think I was open when coach was telling me to shoot the ball. And I think being able to get over that mental block was the first part of it, because I don’t think that I ever thought that I couldn’t shoot. It just wasn’t something that was repped a ton and that I was confident in. So, finding that confidence was huge, but also continuing the reps.”
Reese is working her own 3-point shot into the rotation this season. It’s not there yet, but it’s trending in the right direction. If that keeps developing, the Dream’s frontcourt gets even more dangerous.
And when Jones does make it back into the lineup? Good luck figuring out how to match up with that trio.
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