Angel Reese, Dream open against rookie Olivia Miles, Lynx

Angel Reese will make her official Atlanta debut when the Dream visit the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night in Minneapolis.

The Chicago Sky traded Reese just more than a month ago and she played in two preseason games, but the two-time All-Star and rebounding specialist makes it official in Saturday's season opener.

"How could you not be happy here?" Reese told ESPN about Atlanta. "It just feels great. I always wanted to come to Atlanta. When you think of championship culture, playing next to these players, the coach (Karl Smesko), it just made sense."

Reese averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in her second WNBA season, but things ended poorly in Chicago after the Sky suspended her a half-game for "statements detrimental to the team" for which she'd apologized. She held herself out the last few games of the season from there, citing back issues.

WNBA front offices thought highly of the move. In a preseason survey of the league's 15 general managers, the Dream came out as the No. 3 favorite behind the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty to win the championship, which would be the franchise's first. The Dream already have All-Stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard in the backcourt.

Their first opponent of the season has been a playoff contender the past two seasons, but the Lynx open 2026 without their centerpiece, Napheesa Collier. The team is hoping she'll return in June following offseason ankle surgery.

No. 2 overall draft pick Olivia Miles will be in the spotlight until then. Her highly productive college career at Notre Dame and TCU saw her average 15.6 points, 6.5 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 139 games.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said on draft night that Miles is "the first real point guard we've had since Lindsay Whalen," the franchise icon who retired after the 2018 campaign.

That's a lofty comparison. The good news for Miles? She can learn from Whalen herself, as she joined the coaching staff before the 2025 campaign.

"She played on the dynasty team with Maya Moore, Seimone (Augustus) and all those greats," Miles told reporters. "I can't wait to just be a sponge and just ask questions and be open-minded and be coachable."

--Field Level Media