DHJ Quick Take: Allisha Gray, Angel Reese Preview Dallas Wings
- Respect & Marketability: Angel Reese reflected on her storied “Class of 2020” respect with Paige Bueckers, noting how their shared platform continues to elevate the league’s visibility as they lead the WNBA’s new era.
- Transition Focus: Allisha Gray identified transition and ball-screen discipline as the primary keys to slowing the Dallas offense, which set a WNBA record with 107 points in the season opener. The Wings were part of the first season opener in which both teams scored 100 or more.
- Frontcourt Physicality: Reese highlighted the challenge of navigating the Wings’ revamped frontcourt, noting that the additions of Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard require more aggressive post-player help on ball screens.
- Homecoming Vibes: Returning to Arlington, Gray addressed the dynamic of facing former backcourt partner Arike Ogunbowale and Mist BC teammate Alanna Smith in a sold-out environment.
- Fudd’s Integration: Reese shared her perspective on Azzi Fudd’s transition to the professional game, emphasizing that the No. 1 pick’s shooting gravity forces constant defensive adjustments.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Atlanta Dream visit a sold-out College Park Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT for the Dallas Wings‘ 2026 home opener, coming off a 91-90 come-from-behind win over the Minnesota Lynx in their season opener.
At shootaround, Angel Reese and Allisha Gray met with reporters at shootaround to preview the matchup against a Wings roster that scored a WNBA-record 107 points in a season opener last Saturday in Indianapolis, led by reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Odyssey Sims in the starting backcourt and offseason additions Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard anchoring the frontcourt. Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, is listed as probable for her first WNBA home game with a right knee designation. Reese opened her Dream tenure with her 50th career double-double — the fastest to the mark in WNBA history — posting 11 points and 14 rebounds in the win over the Lynx.
Reese previewed the challenge of containing the Wings’ quick downhill guard play from starters to bench, the importance of post-player help on ball screens, and the impact of Dallas’s offseason additions of Smith and Shepard. She also addressed the renewed Class of 2020 rivalry with Bueckers, the marketability and shared platform she and Bueckers have as WNBA faces, and her perspective on Fudd’s transition to the WNBA following the rookie’s debut.
Gray pointed to transition and ball-screen defense as the focal points against the Wings’ backcourt and addressed Dallas’s offseason additions of Smith and Shepard, having played alongside Smith on Mist BC during Unrivaled’s 2026 season. She also discussed facing Ogunbowale — her former Wings backcourt partner and Mist BC teammate — and her return to the city where she spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career before being traded to Atlanta.
Full interviews below.
Angel Reese
Allisha Gray
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