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Angel Reese had a new piece of equipment ahead of her first WNBA postseason game: a protective face mask. Yahoo Sports shared a look at the Atlanta Dream forward wearing it before Sunday’s first-round opener against the Washington Mystics. The mask followed a frightening moment in Atlanta’s regular-season finale, when Reese took an elbow to the face against the New York Liberty and did not play in the second half.
The sight of Reese masked up was a welcome one for the Dream. Coach Karl Smesko said after the Liberty game that she had been cleared to return, but Atlanta decided it was smarter to keep her out for the rest of that contest. She was available for the playoff opener.
Reese’s postseason debut is a major moment on its own. It comes after a remarkable first season with Atlanta, in which she became the league’s leading rebounder and set WNBA single-season records for total rebounds, offensive rebounds and double-doubles. She also earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the final three weeks of the regular season.
Angel Reese masked up ahead of her WNBA postseason debut 🥽 pic.twitter.com/WBTTYdg6uv
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 27, 2026Why Reese matters in the Mystics series
Atlanta earned the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in its best-of-three series with fifth-seeded Washington. The Dream won their final five regular-season games, but the Mystics took two of the teams’ three head-to-head meetings.
Rebounding could decide the series. Reese gives Atlanta repeated chances to score after missed shots, and Washington has strong players in the paint who can make those opportunities harder to find. Her work on the glass matters just as much as her scoring.
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The mask will draw attention when Reese takes the floor, particularly after the concern raised by her early exit against New York. Atlanta’s larger concern is what happens once play begins: whether Reese can bring her usual energy to the boards and help the Dream turn a strong regular season into a playoff series win.
For now, the pregame image delivered a straightforward update. Reese was preparing to make her postseason debut with added protection after the hit she absorbed days earlier.
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