Star forward Angel Reese returned to WNBA action with the Atlanta Dream in Wednesday’s preseason road clash against her former team, the Chicago Sky, marking her first appearance since being traded.
Her return did not go as planned, as she endured an underwhelming first half before resting for the remainder of the game. Operating as a lead ball-handler, very little went right for Reese, prompting strong reactions from the WNBA world.
Angel Reese’s Embarrassing Atlanta Dream Debut Sparks Criticism
Reese is a larger-than-life star, mostly due to her elite work on the glass and outspoken personality. However, her offensive game simply hasn’t evolved since being drafted in 2024, as she is shooting only 42.1% from the field and 18.4% from 3-point range for her career.
Despite being a frontcourt player, she has long struggled to finish in the paint, lacking touch around the rim, footwork, and any verticality to finish inside at a high level.
Now in Atlanta, Year 3 didn’t start great for Reese, as she finished her Atlanta preseason debut with just 8 points on 2-for-7 shooting overall and 4-for-8 shooting from the free-throw line.
In what House of Lowlights billed as a “revenge game,” the X account shared several of Reese’s offensive lowlights when attacking the basket, brutally commenting, “She hasn’t worked on her game at all.”
Angel Reese revenge game vs Chicago Sky:
8 points
2-7 field goals
4-8 free throwsShe hasn’t worked on her game at all. pic.twitter.com/7m370iSHFX
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) April 30, 2026
Perhaps the most embarrassing moment for the 23-year-old was matching up against her former teammate Kamilla Cardoso.
Reese attempted to drive into the paint against Cardoso, but the Brazilian center made light work of the matchup and blocked her layup attempt, barely needing to extend her arm or leave the floor. The moment drew a flood of criticism toward Reese, especially due to her poor verticality.
Hater Report ruthlessly trolled Reese by sarcastically writing that “Reese cooked her former teammate,” showing the clip of Cardoso swallowing up Reese’s drive.
Angel Reese COOKED her former teammate Kamilla Cardoso pic.twitter.com/rpLZthdrZF
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) April 30, 2026
Underneath that post, one user commented, “Reese spent all that time trying to troll Jalen Duren that she didn’t work on her game lol.”
This is in reference to Reese trolling her ex-boyfriend Jalen Duren on social media over his playoff struggles for the Detroit Pistons against the Orlando Magic. Duren is matched up against Reese’s current boyfriend, Wendell Carter Jr., and she recently shared a clip of the Pistons star getting dunked on.
Duren may have some material to fire back if he wishes after Reese’s underwhelming performance on Wednesday.
Another X account, known as Cro, questioned how Reese has a “negative vertical,” with the remark accompanied by an image of her awkward, doomed layup attempt against Cardoso.
How does she have negative vertical?? pic.twitter.com/rK3uGwaXe1
— Cro (@The_Cro_Show) April 30, 2026
Despite a disappointing debut for Reese and her inglorious moment against Cardoso, the Dream still won 87-78. Reese also logged 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals across 13 minutes, giving her a somewhat respectable final stat line.
The Dream’s next preseason game is on Sunday against the Washington Mystics.
