The three-time All-Star is no stranger to missing layups – it comes with the territory as a post position player – but she's also been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism for her, let's call them efforts, underneath the basket.One of her most recent bricked layup attempts carried more weight than others, and she admitted it weighed on her in a major way.With her Atlanta Dream team knotted up with the Indiana Fever 81-81 in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Reese found herself with an opportunity to win the game with just seconds remaining.
She missed the layup, the game went to overtime, and Caitlin Clark's Fever got the last laugh, 95-91.Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Fever on August 16, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.(Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)ANGEL REESE ADMITS SHE WAS 'PLAYING LIKE S---' BEFORE HELPING DREAM BUILD HALFTIME LEAD OVER FEVER"I didn’t sleep, and the competitor in me wanted to win that game so bad," Reese recalled of the missed game-winner following the Dream's win over the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday.
"I replayed that play so many times, but I’m like: Why would I let one moment dictate everything else that I have going on that is positive?"Reese scored 15 points and snagged 14 rebounds in the loss to the Fever over the weekend, but the double-double wasn't memorable as the missed layup or Clark being caught on camera smirking after the failed game-winning attempt.CAITLIN CLARK HELPS WNBA SHATTER ANOTHER TV RATINGS RECORD AS FEVER-DREAM DRAWS MASSIVE AUDIENCEAngel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream goes up for the lay up against the Indiana Fever on August 16, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.(Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images)Reese made it a point to try and flush the bad ending against the Fever before her team's eventual win over the Aces on Tuesday."It would have been negative for me not to come out tonight and just bounce back, and I knew they expe...