It was a nervous few minutes for Angel Reese fans on Wednesday as the Atlanta Dream faced off against the New York Liberty. Reese took an elbow to the face from guard Sabrina Ionescu during the first half of the her team's final regular-season game. Following the injury, her teammates helped her to the bench where Reese remained for the game's second half.
Dream vs Liberty 1st Half Ends with Hard Angel Reese Foul
The contact came with just over nine seconds remaining in the second quarter. As Ionescu made her way to the basket, Reese stepped up to defend just outside the arc. The New York guard swung her arm to create space, accidentally clipping the Dream forward in the mouth.
Sabrina Ionescu is charged with a flagrant 1 after this inadvertent elbow against Angel Reese.#WNBAonUSA | Dream đź’ | Liberty đź—˝ pic.twitter.com/Xdo2QtbO1F
— USA Sports (@usasports) September 24, 2026
Reese briefly returned to the floor to shoot the resulting free throws but sat out the rest of the season-ending matchup. Before leaving, she had posted six points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 17 minutes.
After the game, head coach Karl Smesko offered a reassuring update on the Reese's injury.
"She was cleared to come back in," Smesko said. "We just made a decision that it would be smarter for her to sit out the second half."
When considering the bigger post-season picture, Smesko's caution makes sense. The Atlanta Dream locked in the No. 4 WNBA playoff seed at 30-14, setting up a first-round date with either the Indiana Fever or Washington Mystics.
With the regular season wrapped, keeping Reese healthy for the Dream's postseason run is the priority.
