Reese Delivers in the Clutch
Angel Reese scored 23 points and made all six of her free throws, including two in overtime that sealed Atlanta's 101-98 win over New York on Oct. 7 at State Farm Arena. With All-Star Allisha Gray sidelined by a left hand and finger injury from Game 1, Reese and guard Jordin Canada each scored 23 to lead the Dream, who took a 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Eastern Conference semifinals.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Atlanta shot just 40 percent from the field compared to New York's 55 percent and lost the rebounding battle, but doubled the Liberty on the offensive glass, 11-5. Reese grabbed nearly half of her team's offensive rebounds. After the game, she told Holly Rowe that she practices free throws after every practice and trusts her work, adding that someone had to step up for her teammates and that the bench delivered.[S1]
Stewart's Record Night Not Enough
Breanna Stewart became the first player in WNBA history to record 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game, but her Hall of Fame effort ended in an overtime loss that sends the Liberty home for Game 3 facing elimination. The series shifts to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
The Angel Reese Effect on Attendance
Reese's impact extends beyond the court. According to StubHub, ticket demand for the Atlanta Dream has risen 91 percent in her first season with the team, the largest jump in the WNBA from last season, and 48 percent more fans are coming from outside Georgia. The Dream will move all home games next season from the 3,500-seat Gateway Center to the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena to meet the demand.[S1]
StubHub tracks secondary-market demand, not turnstile attendance. Dream average home attendance rose from 4,480 in 2025 to 6,928 in 2026, an increase of 2,448 per game, or about 55 percent. Over 22 regular-season games, the team gained 54,000 total fans, driven largely by moving six games to the larger State Farm Arena, compared to one the previous year.[S1]
Fans Debate the Numbers
Reese remains one of the most polarizing players in WNBA history, and her success draws both celebration and skepticism. Under the StubHub post on X, some fans questioned the statistics, with one calling them propaganda and another suggesting the increase came only from games against the Fever. A third asked for the numbers to be shown.[S1]
Supporters pushed back. One fan sarcastically asked whether Caitlin Clark should be thanked for the attendance figures, while another called Reese 'Impact Barbie' for pushing the Dream back to where they belong. A third scolded casual fans for buying into narratives about Reese that she is disproving during this championship run, arguing the Atlanta statistics are undeniable proof of her impact.[S1]
