'Going To Be the Game Changer' -- Sophie Cunningham Pinpoints Key to Angel Reese Elevating Her Game in 1st WNBA Finals Aliasgar Ayaz Fri, October 16, 2026 at 7:10 AM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angel Reese is preparing for her first WNBA Finals appearance after helping the Atlanta Dream sweep the New York Liberty. Her improved 3-point shooting has been one of the major talking points during Atlanta's playoff run.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham discussed Reese's development on Thursday's episode of her "No Hesitation" podcast, explaining how the Dream star's growing confidence could affect her performance against the Golden State Valkyries.
Earlier this season, Dream coach Karl Smesko stopped a practice drill and required Reese to make two consecutive 3-pointers before the team could continue.
The three-time WNBA All-Star later admitted she felt embarrassed and upset because she didn't want to let her teammates down. The drill put Reese in a pressure situation in front of her squad and was part of Smesko's effort to build her confidence as a shooter.
That practice incident came up when Cunningham and co-host Drew Hanlen discussed Reese's progress on their podcast.
"I feel like people are still gonna live with that shot, but her confidence is going to be the game changer," Cunningham said.
The Fever guard also discussed how a few successful attempts could affect the Dream.
"If she can knock down, like I said, even just one of them, two, three, whatever, that's gonna bring her confidence up, that's gonna bring her team's confidence up," the Fever veteran added .
Reese made 11 of her 57 3-point attempts during the 2026 regular season, shooting 19.3% from beyond the arc. That percentage has climbed to 38.5% on low volume in the playoffs, including four made triples during Atlanta's semifinal series against New York.
Cunningham also considered how outside shooting might affect other parts of Reese's game:
"Maybe she kills in the lane, maybe that hypes her up to play even better defense than what she's been playing."
Reese already contributes heavily in those areas. She led the WNBA with 12.1 rebounds per game during the regular season and earned the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award. Her ability to score around the basket remains an important part of Atlanta's offense.
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As Cunningham noted, opponents have been willing to give Reese room on the perimeter.
Making those open shots could force defenders to adjust how they guard her, potentially creating more opportunities for Atlanta's offense when the Dream face Golden State in Saturday's WNBA Finals opener.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
Source: Sports
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