Angel Reese receives an electric standing ovation while tasting a real shot at a title
The Atlanta crowd is giving Reese a taste of what she has been chasing all season
A ngel Reese could become the first of the new generation of WNBA stars to reach the Finals and have a real chance at winning a championship . Her decision to transfer to Atlanta and find the momentum she needed to make the playoffs was heavily questioned at first.
But the city has made Reese feel welcomed and supported. The results and numbers are there to back up a move that initially did not convince some fans, who believed changing teams would not give her the stability she needed to compete for a title. Reese could now be close to proving that theory wrong.
Atlanta is showing Reese just how much the city is behind her
The popularity of the WNBA's new generation has grown exponentially, but Reese's rise has also come with a wave of criticism compared with the support Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have received . Now, Reese is getting a different kind of response as Atlanta continues to rally around her.
Reese could be the first from this group of young stars to truly compete for a WNBA championship after already becoming the first new superstar to claim an end-of-season award. Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were all eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Reese is embracing the moment as Atlanta dreams of the Finals
That leaves Reese as the first young superstar to play in the semifinals . The Fever reached this stage last year, but Clark was injured, leaving Reese as the only one from this group still standing alongside the veteran stars competing for this year's championship.
Reese is savoring the moment because she is finally experiencing what she wanted so badly. The support from the fans, the towels being waved for her and the way Atlanta has backed her are delivering the kind of support she was looking for. The Dream have a realistic shot at the Finals.
