Angel Reese said joining the Atlanta Dream feels "like a breath of fresh air."Reese was officially introduced as a member of the Dream on Friday during a press conference that featured Atlanta's 2026 free agency class. As Reese sat on stage among her new teammates — Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada, Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard — she fought back tears describing the new "sisterhood" that welcomed her."Being able to come to an organization that really cared about their players, just being able to see a GM that really wanted me and knew what my talents are. Being able to talk to players that genuinely know what I am and who I am as a person, but also as a player, is like a breath of fresh air," Reese said on Friday.

"It lowkey makes me emotional because I haven't had this and I'm really grateful and I'm really looking forward to the start."The Dream acquired the two-time WNBA All-Star from the Chicago Sky in exchange for the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The Dream will also receive the right to swap second-round picks with the Sky in 2028. Reese said she's "grateful" for her time in Chicago, but noted that she ultimately "wanted more.""I did experience a lot of great things and enjoy being able to grow within my first two years (in Chicago)," said Reese, who led the league in rebounds per game (12.6) and double-doubles (23) last season."But ...

I love to win. I love to compete. ... I'm not satisfied with what I am as a player," Reese continued. "Being around these kinds of players would help me be better and I can help them in different ways to help them win.

And that's all I ever wanted. I don't care about anything else."The feeling is mutual among her teammates. Gray said she's "ecstatic" to have Reese on the squad.

Howard called her the Dream's missing piece following last season's first-round playoff upset. Hillmon added it's great to be on the same side as Reese because "Angel's annoying as hell to play against.""Angel being here ... she's the piece that we needed to get us over the hump," Gray said on Friday. "She really can spread her wings and show all parts of her game.

I mean, we all know she's one of the best rebounders in the league, but I feel here in Atlanta we are able to show that she's more than a rebound, because Angel's a bucket."Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko said the press conference served as his first meeting with Reese. He applauded her versatile skillset and plans to create more scoring opportunities for her: "We create a lot of space and a lot of movement so there's going to be a lot of opportunities to either score off cuts or invert some pick and roll."More importantly, Smesko said he wants to help Reese become the player she wants to be. "I want to hear what she thinks her strengths are and what she really wants to get better at and I want to be a coach that helps players achieve to their highest level and what they wanted to become," he added.

"We'll work together on a plan and I look forward to working with them."It's something that Reese said she's been craving from a franchise. "Coaches and GMs that really believed in me was something that I was really, really wanting after my first two years," she said, making the choice to come to Atlanta seem easy. "I felt like (the Dream) loved each other.

I could feel the sisterhood on the court and off the court." Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese gets emotional discussing Dream 'sisterhood'