ScoopB.com<\/a> about Reese\u2019s commentary and how the team processes that level of heat, Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko embraced the sentiment, viewing adversity as a necessary crucible for championship team building.<\/p>\n\u00a0\u201cI think there\u2019s something to that,\u201d Smesko tells me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been in a lot of close games. I think it\u2019s good to have some experience in stressful situations. I think that\u2019s how you kind of build chemistry within the team\u2026 when you\u2019re in these situations and you have to pull together.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Smesko, those late-game pressure cookers aren\u2019t just tests\u2014they are essential dress rehearsals for what awaits in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, there\u2019s been a few times where we\u2019ve been down double figures and we\u2019ve had to pull together as a group and find a way to get back in the game, and some of those games we\u2019ve been able to pull out,\u201d Smesko explained.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cEvery game gives us a chance for more experience and a chance to work together and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
That resilience will be paramount if Atlanta intends to hoist hardware at the end of the year. In the WNBA postseason, margins shrink and intensity amplifies from the opening tip.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more pressure situations you\u2019re in during the season better prepares you, because the playoffs are\u2026 you know, the first quarter is like the fourth quarter in a lot of those games. That\u2019s how much pressure there is,\u201d Smesko noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I think it helps us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cBayou Barbie\u201d Effect Off the Court<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
The pressure on Reese isn\u2019t contained strictly to the hardwood\u2014her cultural footprint continues to explode off the floor as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mattel recently launched the official Barbie Signature Angel Reese Doll, complete with her signature leg sleeve, layered necklaces, pink headband, and custom Reebok kicks.<\/p>\n
When asked about Reese\u2019s cultural impact and the commercial powerhouse she\u2019s built around her \u201cBarbie\u201d moniker, Smesko offered high praise and a bit of humor regarding his star forward\u2019s marketability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I think her brand is through the roof,\u201d Smesko said with a grin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, I don\u2019t buy stock, but that\u2019s one I would buy! I think it\u2019s fantastic. I\u2019ve seen them all around here\u2014I haven\u2019t been given one, but I just think it\u2019s fantastic. For Angel, it\u2019s a fantastic partnership with Barbie, and I\u2019m really excited that she gets to be part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Smesko\u2019s group continues to turn high-pressure moments into late-game execution while capitalizing on their star-powered momentum, the Dream won\u2019t just be surviving the heat\u2014they\u2019ll be forging a championship product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ATLANTA \u2014 High expectations come with a distinct kind of temperature. As the WNBA season hits its critical…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":796564,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":["post-796563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=796563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=796563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=796563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=796563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n