Not what anyone expected in the first regular season look at the 2026 Atlanta Dream.
The Dream looked disconnected, sloppy, and bewildered in their first outing against the Lynx. Expectations for Atlanta were championship or bust after acquiring Angel Reese this offseason, especially coming off a 30 win season last year. However, in the first half, the Dream looked a lot like the team Coach Karl Smesko described after their final preseason game: sloppy.
Most people believed they would come out on fire, but the W is filled with talented teams, and the Lynx, even without Napheesa Collier, are still one of the best teams in the league. Rookie Olivia Miles looked great and every bit worthy of being the second pick in the draft.
At halftime, the Dream trailed by 15, making any comeback difficult, especially with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray having off nights early. The biggest divider was field goal percentage. Minnesota shot 52.6 percent in the first half, while Atlanta shot just 36.1 percent.
The other major story was turnovers. The Dream had 13 turnovers in the first half compared to only 4 for the Lynx. That kind of gap made it hard to build rhythm, especially against a team as sharp and disciplined as Minnesota.
The Lynx also got more from their bench early, outscoring Atlanta’s reserves 12 to 6. Olivia Miles was in complete control, pushing pace and carving up the Dream defense with pass after pass. She finished the game with 21 points and 8 assists in just under 34 minutes, but honestly the stats barely capture how dominant she felt throughout the game.
Miles was not waiting to become great. She already looked like a star.
Dime after dime, she manipulated the defense and made trapping her feel almost impossible. Every time Atlanta looked close to gaining momentum, Miles responded with another play. Courtney Williams added 14 points and 5 assists of her own, while Kayla McBride chipped in 18 points, including a huge three late in the fourth quarter.
One of the early sparks for Atlanta in the third quarter came from Te-Hina Paopao, who made a huge defensive play that shifted momentum. The Dream also started cleaning up the issues that buried them in the first half. By the end of the third quarter, Atlanta was shooting 50 percent from the field in the second half and had committed only four turnovers after halftime.
The Dream eventually cut the lead all the way down to one in the third quarter before Minnesota pushed it right back to 10 early in the fourth.
That is when the game turned into a fight.
Angel Reese completely came alive in the fourth quarter. Reese finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, but her impact late in the game felt even bigger than the numbers. First came a big layup. Then a steal and another bucket that cut the lead to four. Her energy completely changed the intensity of the game.
Reese also officially recorded her 50th career double-double, reaching the milestone in only 65 games, the fewest games needed by any player in WNBA history. At just 24 years old, she became the second youngest player ever to hit the mark behind only Tina Charles.
Even after the game, Reese admitted the night was emotionally challenging for her.
“It was rough for me tonight, but this is what you call a team,” Reese said postgame. “You may never have players that always have your back, even when you’re not having the best game.”
That support showed up late in the fourth quarter after Reese missed a layup during a critical moment. Naz Hillmon immediately came over, put her hands on Reese’s shoulders, and encouraged her to move on to the next play.
Reese later explained just how important that moment was.
“My rookie year, I probably would have just melted down and not been able to fight back,” Reese said. “So shout out to my teammates.”
Meanwhile, Allisha Gray slowly adjusted her game as the night went on. When the three pointer was not falling, she started attacking downhill and getting to the basket. That aggressiveness helped keep Atlanta alive. Gray finished with a team high 24 points and 8 rebounds, while Rhyne Howard added 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists despite struggling early offensively.
Naz Hillmon quietly had one of the most important performances of the night with 15 points and 7 rebounds while constantly bringing physicality and energy. Jordan Canada added 12 points and 6 assists, including a huge layup late that cut the deficit to one.
One of the more interesting storylines throughout the game was Atlanta’s defensive approach to Olivia Miles. Typically, players of her caliber are matched up with elite defenders like Allisha Gray or Rhyne Howard. Atlanta used Howard against Caitlin Clark in similar situations last season, but Coach Karl Smesko chose not to consistently make that switch in this game. It raises questions about what the long-term defensive strategy will be against elite lead guards.
Even after all the comeback pushes, Atlanta still had not held a lead all night.
The closest they came before the final minute was an 85-85 tie.
Then another tie at 87-87 after Gray drilled a massive shot to pull the Dream all the way back.
The Dream had fought all the way back into the game.
One fascinating coaching decision late was Karl Smesko keeping Te-Hina Paopao on the floor despite her having five fouls. It was a trust move, and it paid off in the biggest moment of the night.
“I trust her to be out there and still play aggressively and smart,” Smesko said postgame. “I don’t want to foul out our own players by trying to protect them or overprotect them.”
With 22.7 seconds left, Paopao delivered.
Paopao.
91-90 Dream.
The rookie finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 21 minutes, but none bigger than that pull up jumper that gave Atlanta its first lead of the game with just 12 seconds remaining.
Smesko admitted afterward that he nearly called timeout before the shot.
“I almost took it away,” Smesko said. “But I just trust Pow. She looked like she had a little bit of space, so I just kind of let the play go out and Pow knocked it down.”
After the game, Reese made sure Paopao received her flowers.
“Pow makes those shots all the time in practice,” Reese said. “She came in and maximized. She’s our energizer bunny. Our little sister. We really enjoy her and we really love her and this is what she does. She comes in and makes big shots because she’s a big player.”
Then came another huge defensive sequence.
Minnesota tried to answer, but first Allisha Gray blocked Olivia Miles on a driving attempt with six seconds left. Then Angel Reese erased the final layup attempt at the buzzer to seal the game.
Game over.
What looked like a disastrous opening night suddenly became a statement about resilience, toughness, and star power. The Dream still have plenty to clean up, especially regarding turnovers and defensive consistency, but they also showed they can survive adversity against one of the league’s toughest teams.
And while Atlanta escaped with momentum and a 91-90 win, the rest of the WNBA should also be paying attention to Olivia Miles.
A superstar may already be here.
(All photos provided by Atlanta Dream Media)
