Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese avoided serious injury after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face from Sabrina Ionescu during a regular-season finale on Wednesday, Sept. 23, finishing the game with six points as her team secured the No. 4 WNBA playoff seed.
The physical clash occurred with just 5.6 seconds remaining in the first half at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City as the Atlanta Dream closed out their regular season against the New York Liberty. While driving to the lane on a pick-and-roll, Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu ran into Reese, catching the forward in the face with an inadvertent elbow that caused Reese to clutch her face. Referees initially called an offensive foul on Ionescu, but after a review, the contact was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul.
Reese knocked down two awarded free throws before heading back to the locker room early. She returned to the bench with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter but did not check back into the game, leaving her final line at six points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals across 17 minutes of action.
Coach Karl Smesko Updates Reese Status and Playoff Outlook
Any initial fears regarding Reese’s long-term health were quickly dispelled after the final whistle, with her coach confirming the injury shouldn’t affect her playoff availability. Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko told reporters that medical staff had cleared the star forward to return, but team leadership chose caution with the postseason getting underway in four days.
We made a decision that it would be smarter for her to sit out the second half,
Karl Smesko said in his postgame interview, noting that Reese “was cleared” to reenter the game by the medical staff.
The cautious approach did little to hinder the Dream. Allisha Gray scored 24 points, Naz Hillmon added 16, and Atlanta secured the No. 4 seed in the playoffs with an 83-65 victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday night to close out the regular season for both teams. The win locked up the No. 4 seed for the Dream, guaranteeing them homecourt advantage in the first round beginning Sunday. The victory also marked their second consecutive 30-win season as they improved to 31-13 overall.
A Campaign Heading Into the Postseason
The early exit capped a record-breaking season for the LSU product, who is averaging a double-double for the third consecutive season, bolstered by a career-high 16.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. The Dream are 8-2 in their last 10 outings.
Meanwhile, the Liberty (26-18) played without Breanna Stewart due to a knee injury (left knee soreness). Jonquel Jones topped New York’s scoring with 10 points and 14 rebounds, yet exited in the third quarter due to a left ankle injury following a missed three-pointer and a potential foot collision with a spectator. Marine Fauthoux tallied 14 points while Han Xu contributed 11 for the Liberty, which displayed the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup banner pre-game and held a short retirement tribute for Rebecca Allen. New York begins the playoffs as the eighth seed against Minnesota, whereas Atlanta (31-13) must wait until Thursday to determine if they’ll host Indiana or Washington in the opening round.
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