Angel Reese and the Dream Dismiss Liberty's Playoff Stature

Dream star Angel Reese stated she "don't give a damn" about New York Liberty co-owner Joe Tsai's assertion that his team is the best in the WNBA playoffs, as the Atlanta Dream prepare to face the Liberty in their semifinal matchup.

The No. 4 seeded Dream will host the eighth-seeded Liberty beginning Sunday. Despite recently defeating the Liberty twice to conclude the regular season, the Dream appear unfazed by any perceived lack of respect.

"Nobody wants the Atlanta Dream in it, and we have that chip on our shoulder and we're just gonna continue to fight through it," Reese said Saturday after practice. This sentiment of being an underdog has been a driving force for the team, even before Reese joined in April.

Atlanta is currently experiencing its deepest postseason run since 2018. The team swept the Washington Mystics in the first round, breaking a streak of three consecutive first-round exits and shedding the label of a team that faltered under pressure.

Despite their recent success, the Dream remain focused on advancement. "Winning one series is not enough," Reese added. "Being able to turn the page, those are the teams that continue to advance. You can't get too high, can't get too low in these moments — just continuing to stick together."

The upcoming series pits the Dream's stars, including Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray, against the Liberty's prominent players like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones. The Liberty enter the series with championship experience, having recently eliminated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in two games.

"We weren't a traditional eighth seed by any means, and I think we're just really showing what we are capable of and hey, this is the moment that we're stepping into the team that we are. That's great timing in my opinion," said Liberty guard Rebecca Allen, referring to their playoff performance.

Dream guard Jordin Canada expressed confidence in her team's championship aspirations. "We have everything we need to win a championship," Canada stated. "We've been hitting our stride as of late, and so I honestly believe that we can win it all, I think the biggest thing for us is just locking in and being consistent and stick to the game plan."

Allen also emphasized the team's internal focus. "This is really about ourselves at this point. There's going to be comments left, right and center and it's really focusing on this group, this immediate moment. And I think it's just that we all have that self-belief and we know what we can achieve and it's now about doing it and doing it together. Playoff basketball has to be a together brand of basketball, it can't go individual and I think that's why we were so good against Minnesota."