Angel Reese was not able to finish the Atlanta Dream’s final game of the regular season against the New York Liberty because of an injury, sparking concerns about her availability for the WNBA playoffs.
With six seconds remaining in the second quarter of the game, Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu hit Reese with an elbow to the nose while trying to attack the basket. Officials assessed Ionescu with a Flagrant 1 foul.
Reese was able to take the two ensuing free throws as a result of the flagrant, but she was taken out of the contest and didn’t return. She played nearly 17 minutes and finished with six points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Because of her injury and the fact that she didn’t return in the contest, there were naturally questions about whether or not she will be available to play in Game 1 of their first-round series with the Washington Mystics in the postseason.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Is Angel Reese Playing in the WNBA Playoffs?
For what it’s worth, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko confirmed after the Dream’s 83-65 win against the Liberty that Reese was okay and was actually cleared to return to the game. He and his coaching staff only decided not to put her back in the game since that was the “smarter” choice rather than risking a potentially more serious injury.
“We made a decision that it would be smarter for her to sit out the second half,” Smesko stated.
Now, based on the latest update, Reese is available to play in Game 1 against the Mystics. The team didn’t list her on the injury report, with Brionna Jones being the only Atlanta player ruled out for the contest.
Reese finished the season averaging 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. She led the league in rebounding and was third in steals, highlighting her major impact on Atlanta.
