{
  "id": 14508165,
  "title": "Angel Reese trusted Karl Smesko to change her shot, and it's paying off for WNBA Finals-bound Dream",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/angel-reese-trusted-karl-smesko-to-change-her-shot-and-its-paying-off-14508165",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-14T18:10:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/angel-reese-trusted-karl-smesko-181055939.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Angel Reese can now laugh about a moment during an Atlanta Dream practice earlier this season. Dream coach Karl Smesko halted a drill when Reese failed to make consecutive 3-point shots. Initially, Reese was embarrassed and angry, but after a few misses, she finally hit both shots. Smesko's gamble paid off as playing resumed. Smesko's strategy was to push Reese out of her comfort zone and see if she could handle the pressure in front of a large crowd. Reese, who had missed many layups during her rookie season, has since gained confidence in her offense. She now feels like shooting practice shots are easy. While she's not an elite 3-point shooter yet, her performance in the playoffs suggests she's improving. Smesko noted that Reese's willingness to make significant changes was crucial for this to work. In the team's playoff run, Reese averaged 20.7 points per game, shooting 48% from the field and 89% from the free-throw line. He believes she has the potential to become a consistent 3-point threat in the future.",
  "summary": "Angel Reese can laugh about it now. She wasn't laughing when it happened.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Angel Reese trusted Karl Smesko to change her shot, and it’s paying off for WNBA Finals-bound Dream",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/angel-reese-trusted-karl-smesko-to-change-her-shot-and-its-paying-off",
        "published": "2026-10-14T18:11:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}