Sophie Cunningham Speaks Out About Angel Reese: “Her Offensive Game Is Going to Improve”
The Indiana Fever player acknowledged Reese’s offensive potential after having questioned some of her plays in the playoffs. Days later, the Atlanta star put on a historic performance in the WNBA Finals.
Sophie Cunningham was very critical of Angel Reese during the WNBA semifinals, but she also acknowledged one of the qualities that could help the Atlanta Dream star grow the most: her ability to improve her outside shooting.
On her podcast, “No Hesitation,” the Indiana Fever player highlighted Reese’s progress and noted that she still has room to expand her offensive repertoire.
The assessment drew attention because this time, she focused on Reese’s work ethic, her defensive skills, and the progress she has shown from the three-point lin
Sophie Cunningham acknowledges Angel Reese’s improvement
Cunningham explained that opposing teams can still afford to give Reese space on the perimeter. “When you play against Atlanta, you’re willing to give up that shot. You can live with her making three-pointers,” she said on the podcast.
Her regular-season stats supported that strategy: Reese made 11 of her 57 three-point attempts, a 19.3% success rate. However, her performance improved during the playoffs. Before Game 2 of the Finals, she had made 5 of her 14 three-point attempts, for a 35.7% success rate.
The improvement did not go unnoticed by Cunningham, who also highlighted Reese’s defensive play and her rebounding prowess. “She’s a great, great defensive player,” he said before outlining what he sees as the next step for the Atlanta big woman: “Her offensive game is going to improve.”
The Indiana player also praised the support of Atlanta coach Karl Smesko and the confidence he’s giving Reese to continue developing her shot. If she manages to become a more consistent threat from the perimeter, opposing defenses will have less leeway to close out on her near the basket.
Angel Reese responded with a historic performance in the Finals
The progress Cunningham had noted was further demonstrated on Monday, October 19. Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Atlanta Dream’s 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals. The result tied the series at 1-1.
The center was decisive on both ends of the court and finished with 10 made shots out of 16 attempts, along with three assists and two blocks. Atlanta improved significantly after halftime and secured its first-ever victory in the Finals , having lost its previous ten games at that stage.
And her performance against Golden State reinforced that point. Reese still has aspects of her game to develop, but her impact in Game 2 of the Finals made it clear why Atlanta relies on her as one of the central figures in their franchise’s future.
