Weekend Reflections: Dream rookie Madina Okot outshines Angel Reese

Angel Reese is a big reason why State Farm Arena was packed Sunday. But she was on the bench during the Atlanta Dream rally that sent the home supporters into a frenzy.

Rookie center Madina Okot was on the floor during most of the team’s comeback from 19 points down in the final quarter. The Dream lost 85-84 when Aces guard Chelsea Gray stripped the ball from Allisha Gray during the Dream’s final possession.

It was a tough loss, but Okot showed her star potential. She helped the Dream hold their own against defending WNBA champion Las Vegas and center A’ja Wilson, the four-time league MVP.

Dream forward Brionna Jones was out with a knee injury. Reese was shaky with the ball around the basket. The Dream got back in the game because Okot was unusually poised for a rookie who’s played basketball less than six years.

“I think everybody can see what Madina is capable of becoming,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “I really do think that she’s going to end up being one of the best players in this league. She has that type of ability. She’s still learning.

“But to see what she can do at this point is pretty impressive.”

Okot did a lot more good things than Reese against the Aces.

Reese had nine points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. Okot had 14 points and 11 rebounds in 16 minutes.

Reese missed seven layups in eight attempts and committed eight turnovers. Okot made seven of 12 shots and committed one turnover.

The Dream were outscored by 13 points when Reese was on the floor. They outscored the Aces by 18 points with Okot on the floor.

You get the point. The No. 13 pick in the recent draft outplayed the two-time All-Star who came here with lots of fanfare.

That’s why I was surprised when Smesko subbed in Reese for Okot with 2:30 left and the Ace’s lead down to four points. But Reese showed why she’s here during Atlanta’s next possession.

Te-Hina Paopao missed a driving shot attempt. Reese grabbed a tough rebound to give the Dream another chance. The ball came back to Reese, who whipped a terrific pass to Paopao in the corner for a 3-pointer.

It was a winning play by Reese. Of course, the Dream might have won the game if she’d made another layup. It was mystifying to watch her miss so many of those Sunday while making seven of eight free-throw attempts.

Smesko and Paopao said Reese will be better once she becomes more accustomed to playing for her new team. But that doesn’t have anything to do with missing layups, which has been a weakness for Reese for a while.

Maybe Smesko and his staff can help Reese gain confidence in scoring around the basket. In the meantime, Okot is a good option.

Braves winning without Acuña Jr. — again

It was a weird paradox for the Braves in 2021. Ronald Acuña Jr. is one of the best players in baseball, but they won the World Series when he missed half the season and all of the postseason.

Now they have one the best records in baseball while getting much less than Acuña’s best.

Acuña (hamstring) was eligible to return from the injured list Wednesday. AJC beat writer Chad Bishop reported that Acuña was running in the outfield during the week and took batting practice Friday. Acuña ran the bases Saturday.

Acuña remained on the injured list through the weekend. Manager Walt Weiss said the right fielder will be reevaluated after. The Braves (32-15) won two of three games against the Red Sox. They are 8-5 with Acuña on the IL and 24-10 with him in the lineup.

Acuña is far down the list of reasons why the Braves are winning. His defense has been fine, but his offensive production (.740 OPS) has been about on par with his 2022 season, the year after his first ACL surgery.

The Braves have gotten by without Acuña in right field this season. Mike Yastrzemski hasn’t hit much (though he belted a homer on Sunday) but is good in the field. José Azócar made three consecutive starts against left-handed pitchers and went 4-for-7 with two doubles.