Angel Reese was cleared after taking a hit to the face against the Liberty, and the Dream do not expect the injury to affect her playoff availability.
Angel Reese was cleared to return Wednesday night after taking a hit to the face against the New York Liberty, but the Atlanta Dream kept her out of the second half of an 83-65 win four days before the WNBA playoffs begin.
Reese could have gone back in had Atlanta needed her, Dream coach Karl Smesko said after the game, according to The Associated Press.
"She was cleared, but we made a decision that it would be smart for her to sit out the second half," Smesko said.
Smesko also said the injury should not affect Reese's availability for the playoffs, USA Today reported.
Angel Reese Takes Hit to Face Against Liberty
With 5.6 seconds left in the half, Sabrina Ionescu hit Reese in the face. Initially called an offensive foul, the contact was upgraded to a flagrant 1 after review.
Reese left for the locker room before the free throws, returned to make both, then left again for the half’s final seconds.
She was still absent at halftime, returning with 6:19 left in the third quarter and watching the rest of the game from the bench.
Reese’s night ended after 17 minutes. She finished with 6 points on 2-of-7 shooting, plus 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
Without her, Atlanta outscored New York 42-39 after halftime. At 30-14, the Dream enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
Reese Enters Playoffs After Record-Setting Season
Reese is finishing her first season in Atlanta. On Aug. 30, she recorded her 29th double-double of the season in an 89-81 win over the Minnesota Lynx, breaking the WNBA single-season record of 28 set by Alyssa Thomas in 2023.
Six days earlier, Aug. 24, she set the WNBA single-game record with 26 rebounds, also securing the league's single-season rebounding record.
She led the WNBA in rebounding in 2024 and 2025 with the Chicago Sky, and she is a three-time All-Star.
Reese Has Dealt With Multiple Injury Scares
This has not been Reese's first injury scare in 2026. She left a 93-91 win over Chicago on July 19 with a left leg injury after going down on a layup attempt early in the fourth quarter. Earlier that month, she missed the game against the Portland Fire with a right ankle injury, watching from the bench in a walking boot.
The Chicago teams Reese played for in 2024 and 2025 did not reach the postseason, so Sunday is scheduled to be her playoff debut.
Dream Await First-Round Playoff Opponent
The Dream host the No. 5 seed Sunday in Game 1 of a best-of-three first-round series. That opponent will be the Indiana Fever or the Washington Mystics.
Indiana gets the No. 5 seed with a win at Minnesota or a Washington loss to Chicago. Washington gets it only with a win and an Indiana loss.
The Dream would host a Game 3, if necessary.
