'Queen of the South' -- CJ McCollum Hypes Up Angel Reese Ahead of WNBA Finals Debut, Calls Out Hawks' 'False Blame' for Dream Arena Drama Mohammad Faisal Fri, October 16, 2026 at 6:15 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CJ McCollum is giving Angel Reese her flowers ahead of the biggest stage of her young WNBA career. The Atlanta Dream star is preparing for her first-ever WNBA Finals appearance against the Golden State Valkyries, and the Atlanta Hawks guard believes Reese's arrival has helped change her team's fortunes.
But McCollum also wants to clear up another thing. He feels the Hawks have received unfair blame for the scheduling complications surrounding the Dream's Finals home games.
McCollum did not hold back his praise for Reese when speaking to reporters Thursday, crediting the 24-year-old with helping transform the Dream while celebrating the attention the team has received.
"Obviously, the Atlanta team changed when the Queen of the South got here, so happy for her, happy to see them doing well, happy to see the team in the city kind of surrounding them," McCollum said .
Reese joined Atlanta on April 6, 2026, after being traded from the Chicago Sky. The move gave the Dream another major presence in the frontcourt, and the team has since put together a playoff run that has taken it to the championship series for the first time since 2013.
Atlanta swept the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the first round before eliminating the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals. Reese has played a key role in the Dream's postseason run, averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks across five games.
She also delivered some of her best performances against New York, leading Atlanta in scoring in Game 3 (22 points) and tying Jordin Canada for a team-high 23 points in Game 2.
Now, the three-time WNBA All-Star will make her Finals debut when Atlanta faces the Valkyries in Game 1 on Saturday.
However, the Dream's breakthrough season also brought the unexpected headache of finding a suitable arena for the Finals.
The Dream have traditionally played at Gateway Center Arena, which seats around 3,500 fans. That limited capacity became a major concern for a championship series expected to draw much larger crowds, particularly with ticket demand climbing to historic levels .
State Farm Arena, the Hawks' home building, where the Dream played their first three home playoff games this year, offers approximately 17,000 seats. But its existing schedule initially created a problem, with multiple concerts booked that week, including one on Oct. 22, and the Hawks' regular-season home opener scheduled for Oct. 24.
The scheduling conflict sparked criticism, and McCollum wanted to make clear that the players were not responsible for those decisions.
"I feel like we got some false blame, like we had something to do with the scheduling," McCollum said. "So I just want to clarify we are merely just players here in this environment, and I would like to actually go to the games."
MORE: 'Who's Going to Have That?' — Angel Reese's Ex-Teammate Flau'jae Johnson Exposes Valkyries' Major Weakness Ahead of WNBA Finals vs. Dream
He acknowledged that the situation could have been handled differently but remained supportive of the Dream's success.
"I mean it would be nice if it was on a different day, not on our actual game day, but happy for their success," McCollum added.
The situation has since been resolved. On Tuesday, the WNBA announced that the Dream would host Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena. Game 3 was moved from Oct. 22 to Oct. 21, while Game 4 will tip off at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 24, allowing the Hawks to host the Houston Rockets later that evening at 8:30 p.m.
McCollum welcomed the opportunity for Atlanta's players and fans to enjoy the moment.
"They're playing really well, and I think they have a really good chance of winning a championship," McCollum continued. "And I think the W has continued to grow and expand, and I think they're starting to get the respect and coverage that they deserve, so happy for them."
For Reese, the Finals represent another major milestone after her move to Atlanta, and her team's playoff run indicates they are well equipped to bring home their first WNBA championship.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
Source: Sports
0 Comments