Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream top new WNBA power rankings for a simple reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream are moving on up.
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The Dream placed first in ESPN’s newest WNBA power ranking, and it’s not hard to see why.
MORE: Angel Reese couldn’t contain her excitement after Dream rookie’s career game
Though Atlanta (12-4) is a half-game from having the best record in the WNBA, the Dream does everything well and profiles as a championship contender.
It can be reasonably argued as well that Reese, Rhyne Howard and the Dream should be favored to win at all, given the lack of holes on their roster.
Atlanta ranks second in offensive efficiency and second in defensive efficiency, behind only the Minnesota Lynx in both categories.
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Buoyed by Reese’s arrival, the Dream ranks second in rebounding, and Howard’s emergence as an elite defender has helped Atlanta rank first in steals.
The Dream followed back-to-back victories over Caitlin Clark‘s Indiana Fever with a 94-87 win over the Toronto Tempo on Monday.
Howard and fellow All-Star Allisha Gray combined for 117 points in the three wins. Guard Jordin Canada dished out 30 assists amid only three turnovers, as part of a larger five-game stretch where she has recorded 46 assists to six turnovers.
With center Brionna Jones on her way back from injury, the Dream soon will add another All-Star to its frontcourt.
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Now 7-2 in the month of June, Atlanta begins a four-game road trip on Wednesday against the Golden State Valkyries. Trips to Seattle to face the Storm and Washington to face the Mystics follow, which could see the Dream take over the top seed in the league if other results break their way.
