There’s no doubt that Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and head coach Karl Smesko have developed a special bond after the season they’ve shared.

After being traded to Atlanta last offseason, Reese made an immediate impact in her first season with the Dream.

She played a pivotal role in the team’s impressive regular-season campaign, helping Atlanta secure one of the WNBA’s top records and advance to the Finals. The Dream have continued their strong run in the championship series, tying it 1–1 against the Golden State Valkyries after claiming a crucial Game 2 victory.

Of course, the team’s success this season cannot be attributed to Reese alone. Smesko has played a significant role in the team’s success throughout the season, helping guide Atlanta to the Finals.

Along the way, Reese and Smesko developed a close player-coach relationship, even creating a special handshake that became a familiar sight throughout the season.

In an Instagram reel posted by WNBA’s official account on October 20th, Reese admitted she doesn’t remember the origin of their special handshake, adding that it evolved over time.

“I don’t remember who came up with it,” Reese said. “We always used to do this at first (showing a fist bump), and then we added a little bit to it.”

“As you could imagine, Angel came up with it,” Smesko explained. “I just had to learn it, but we’ve stuck with it all year — and it’s fun.”

Reese has spoken warmly about her relationship with Smesko, describing a connection with her head coach that resembles a father-daughter bond.

“He’s like a girl dad, kind of corny”, Reese said jokingly.

“Maybe I do have bad jokes; I don’t know, “ Smesko then added.

Reese connection with her head coach played a big role in their 79-65 Game 2 victory on the road against the Golden State Valkyries. Reese recorded 30 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks to seal the win for the Dream.

After a poor Game 1 performance, Reese responded in a major way, performing on both ends of the court for the Dream.

In the process, she became one of three players in WNBA history to record 30 points and grab 15 rebounds in a WNBA Finals game, joining Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart.

“I let my team down last game, not really contributing as much as I could in the second half,” Reese said in her postgame interview. “I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark. And I think I did that.”

Reese and Smesko will hope their special connection carries the Dream to more wins as they continue to push towards their goal of winning the franchise’s first WNBA Championship. Now, the series shifts back to Atlanta for the pivotal Game 3 in State Farm Arena.