Angel Reese debuts as a Dream — Brionna Jones is gone for the start of the year

Angel Reese is no longer a Sky. The trade to Atlanta got her out of a rebuilding situation in Chicago and into a Dream front office that wants her to be the face. Her preseason debut went the way preseason debuts go for a player who knows she's the centerpiece — strong on the boards, comfortable on the block, looking nothing like a player still adjusting.

The catch: Brionna Jones is out. Atlanta's All-Star center underwent knee surgery and there's no timetable on her return. Reese was supposed to slide in next to Jones and play the four. Now she might be playing a lot more five than the front office wanted in Year 1 of this rebuild.

Atlanta's tip-off is Sunday. Reese is healthy, motivated, and getting more touches than she's seen in her career. The Dream needed her to be the face. They might need her to be the entire frontcourt for a while too.