Angel Reese and Sophie Cunningham © Sophie Cunningham / Atlanta Dream IG Mervin LR Fri, October 16, 2026 at 1:02 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sophie Cunningham has a message for teams defending Angel Reese in the playoffs. The Indiana Fever guard believes opponents cannot afford to keep giving Reese wide-open looks from beyond the arc, even if the forward is not yet known as a "knockdown shooter."
Speaking on her podcast alongside NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen on Thursday, Cunningham praised Reese's elite rebounding and shot-blocking while noting that the forward's offensive game will continue to expand, much like A'ja Wilson's did early in her career. However, Cunningham expressed disbelief over opposing teams sagging off Reese completely on the perimeter.
"She is a great, great defensive player. … She gets so much credit for that," Cunningham said (Timestamp: 32:00).
"Offensively, her game is gonna grow. Like, you see A'ja Wilson. You see the bigs in our league. When they first came in their first two or three years, they weren't shooting 3s. They were doing what they do. But now you kind of see everyone expanding their game, and that's really gonna open up their game. That's gonna open up that team's offense and how defenses play their squad."
"But I will say, at the end of the day, we're all the best players in the entire world when it comes to women's basketball. So, you can't just leave anyone shooting a wide-open shot, especially during a playoff series run. You have got to run at and contest, especially someone who isn't known yet to be a knockdown shooter. Like, run at them. That's gonna mentally mess with them. Why are people just letting her shoot wide-open 3s? I know you're living with it, but regardless, someone's got to show some effort and go try to put a hand up and mess with the shot a little bit."
It's a fair assessment, especially coming from a player like Cunningham, who is known for her defensive intensity and competitive fire. Nevertheless, one can't help but be bullish on Reese's progress. Her adjustment to the offensive side of her game after the FIBA World Cup has been seamless, as evidenced by her making five of her 13 3-point attempts in the playoffs, a notable improvement from the regular season, when she went 11-for-57.
She has also raised her free-throw percentage to 87.1% in the playoffs, compared with 72.1% during the regular season. The improvements suggest that defenses may need to think twice before leaving her completely unguarded on the perimeter.
The Valkyries, who are facing the Atlanta Dream in the finals, will likely contest Reese's shots more aggressively than the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty did. It will be interesting to see how she handles their defensive adjustments and builds on the progress she has shown in the playoffs.
Angel Reese is playing better offensively than she was at the beginning of the season, and it doesn't look like that improvement happened by accident. Of course, a ton of credit has to go to Dream coach Karl Smesko, who has gone above and beyond to bring out the best in Reese.
After sweeping the Liberty, Angel Reese recalled a training camp moment when Smesko halted practice and made the team wait until she knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers.
"I was upset with him that day for sure. Because I didn't want to let the team down, I didn't want to feel embarrassed and (wonder) how long it could've taken me to make them. But now it's, like, so easy."
While Reese has remained committed to defense all season long, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, her offense has taken a noticeable step forward under Smesko's guidance. In her first season in Atlanta, she has shown improvement on both ends of the court. If she continues to work on the finer details of her game, she could make even more noise in the MVP conversation over the next couple of years.
"Championship Experience Is Going to Give Atlanta a Different Kind of Boost": Gabby Williams Singles Out DeWanna Bonner's Impact Ahead of WNBA Finals
"Let The Apologies be as Loud as the Disrespect": Jemele Hill Makes Feelings Clear After Angel Reese Reaches WNBA Finals in 3rd Season
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in the NBA, college football , men's college basketball , women's college basketball , and college baseball !
Source: Sports
0 Comments