‘Before Caitlin Clark BTW,’ ‘Best Defensive Player in the WNBA’ — Hoops World Erupts As Angel Reese Secures 1st Playoff Series Victory

Angel Reese has already packed plenty into the first three years of her WNBA career, but one major accomplishment had been missing from the list. The three-time All-Star finally checked that box this postseason, helping the Atlanta Dream sweep the Washington Mystics to secure her first career playoff series victory.

The moment gave her supporters plenty to celebrate, and some couldn’t resist bringing Caitlin Clark into the discussion. Others focused on what the Dream star did on the court, particularly the part of her game that has become increasingly difficult to overlook.

Reese entered the postseason still looking for her maiden series victory. Atlanta changed that by getting through the opening round, sending the Dream into the semifinals and giving their frontcourt star another first for her young career.

This year’s playoffs mark a new experience for Reese, who failed to qualify for the postseason over her first two seasons with the Chicago Sky. This time, the Atlanta forward wasn’t watching from the outside. She was right in the middle of a team moving on to the next round.

There was plenty for fans to talk about once the Dream finished the job. It didn’t take long for the reactions to start rolling in.

“Angel Reese is about to win a playoff series before Caitlin Clark, btw,” an X user wrote.

“Angel Reese is the best defensive player in the WNBA, it’s that simple…DPOY,” another X user added.

Those two reactions captured much of the conversation around Reese. Her supporters had both the playoff milestone and her defense to celebrate, while the Clark comparison quickly added another layer.

“ANGEL REESE WON HER FIRST PLAYOFF SERIES EVER. NOT MANY CAN SAY THAT,” another WNBA supporter remarked.

Another fan turned to Reese’s matchup with Mystics forward/center Shakira Austin, one of the more anticipated battles heading into the series.

“EVERYBODY BETTER THAN ANGEL REESE, UNTIL IT’S TIME TO BE BETTER THAN ANGEL REESE,” a Dream supporter claimed.

While Reese’s first series victory became a talking point of its own, some also widened the celebration beyond the Dream, connecting the win to Atlanta’s recent postseason history across its major sports teams.

From the source “Angel Reese with the first Atlanta sports playoff series win since the 2021 World Series win #wow,” a sports observer tweeted.

Eventually, the conversation returned to two themes surrounding Reese: her defense and where this playoff run placed her among the young stars from the 2024 WNBA Draft class.

“Shut that water all the way OFF. Angel Reese for DPOY like we SAID,” a fan commented.

“Angel Reese makes history as the first 2024 WNBA Draft starter to reach the second round of the playoffs,” another fan reacted.

The Clark comparisons were always going to surface, but the two have taken different routes through their first few seasons. Clark reached the playoffs and took the court as a rookie in 2024, while an injury kept her sidelined during Indiana’s run to the semifinals last year.

Reese had to wait until this season for her first taste of the WNBA postseason, and she has made it count by reaching the semifinals.

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There won’t be much time for the 24-year-old to enjoy the milestone. Atlanta now gets a New York Liberty team coming off some history of its own after becoming the first No. 8 seed to knock out a No. 1 seed, sweeping the Minnesota Lynx in the opening round.

Reese has her first playoff series win, and Atlanta’s breakthrough is already in the books, but getting past a New York team fresh off making history would take this Dream run to another level.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.