ATLANTA — Angel Reese was surrounded by the love — and the expertise — throughout her first information convention with the Atlanta Dream she felt was lacking in her two years in Chicago.

The Dream acquired Reese from the Sky on April 6. Chicago obtained first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028. Atlanta additionally acquired the fitting to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.

One of many WNBA’s most recognizable stars, Reese led the league in rebounds in every of her two seasons with the Sky.

“I’m all the time gonna be thankful for that as a result of I did expertise quite a lot of nice issues,” Reese mentioned Friday of her time in Chicago. “I loved with the ability to develop inside my first two years however I wished extra. I like to win, I like to compete and I wished to be surrounded by individuals that may make me higher.

“And I’m not glad with what I’m as a participant and I felt like being round these sorts of gamers would assist me be higher. I might help them in numerous methods to assist them win and that’s all I ever wished. I don’t care about the rest that comes with it. I need to win and with the ability to come to a corporation that basically cared about their gamers.”

Reese was joined on the information convention by the 5 gamers Atlanta has re-signed this offseason. Guard Rhyne Howard mentioned Reese, a two-time All-Star ahead, might assist Atlanta win a championship.

“Angel, I believe is particular for us as a result of she could possibly be precisely what we have been lacking,” Howard mentioned.

Reese averaged 14.7 factors and a league-best 12.6 rebounds final season. She joins a workforce that received a franchise-record 30 video games final season underneath coach Karl Smesko earlier than shedding to Indiana within the playoffs.

Atlanta additionally re-signed Allisha Grey, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon.

Grey completed fourth in MVP voting final season. Howard grew to become the quickest participant in WNBA historical past to make 300 3-pointers. Hillmon was named Sixth Participant of the 12 months and Jones was an All-Star.

The commerce to Atlanta got here after Reese expressed frustration late final season, with Chicago on the way in which to a 10-34 end. She informed the Chicago Tribune the Sky wanted to enhance their roster and added she “might need to maneuver in a distinct route and do what’s finest for me” if that did not occur. She later apologized to the workforce for the feedback.

The Sky suspended Reese for half a sport for feedback deemed “detrimental to the workforce.” The workforce held her out for its remaining three video games with a again damage, elevating hypothesis about her future in Chicago.

Reese mentioned the curiosity from the Dream “was mutual on either side and I used to be ready to decide on a vacation spot I actually wished to go to.”

Common supervisor Dan Padover mentioned including Reese capped a profitable offseason.

“After we went into this offseason, we had two fundamental priorities,” Padover mentioned. “That was retain our core. And to stay opportunistic. And over the past week, I’m thrilled to say we did each. Retaining these gamers in Atlanta was simply so essential to us. And probably the most particular factor is that they need to keep right here.

“After which to have somebody like Angel are available and say ‘Hey guys, I like what you’re doing. I like that metropolis. Let me leap in right here.’ And to have this entire group in addition to the others which can be right here immediately come collectively to attempt to construct one thing and win a championship. That’s what sports activities is all about.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball