Reese, who plays for the Dream, told reporters after Saturday's practice that a claim made by New York Liberty co-owner Tsai — who had publicly declared his team the strongest in this year's WNBA playoff field — drew no concern from her whatsoever.

Carrying the fourth seed into a semifinal contest against the Liberty, who enter as the eighth seed, the Atlanta Dream open that playoff round on Sunday. The Dream closed their regular-season schedule with two consecutive wins over the Liberty.

Atlanta's on-court performance has drawn less outside acknowledgment than their record might suggest, and Reese noted that the team carries a collective sense of being overlooked — a feeling she said had already taken root before her trade to the franchise that April. The franchise's postseason run has now extended to a depth not seen since 2018.

Prior to a sweep of the Washington Mystics, Atlanta had exited the postseason at the opening round in each of the three preceding years. Reese addressed that pattern by pointing out that teams with deep playoff runs tend to view each series victory as a foundation to build on rather than an endpoint.

Facing mounting pressure, the group maintained an internal cohesion that kept its members aligned, neither surging with momentum nor faltering in difficult moments. Reese noted that advancement generally comes through one's own effort rather than through the generosity of others.

Most analysts, setting aside Tsai's remarks, considered the Liberty's first-round draw against top-seeded Minnesota Lynx a steep route toward any franchise milestone. New York Liberty took the series from the Minnesota Lynx in two contests, with forward Rebecca Allen noting afterward that the team never viewed itself as an underdog, pointing out that an eighth seed by conventional standards was not what they represented, and that the run had been an opportunity to demonstrate the level at which they were capable of competing.

The Liberty's active roster features Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones. On Atlanta's roster, three players — Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray — form the core of what the Dream bring to the floor.

Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada expressed confidence in her team's ability to capture a title, telling reporters that the roster had everything required to win and that the squad had been performing at a high level in recent games.

Allen expressed that the team's priority centers on maintaining focus and consistency while executing their established approach, adding that the motivation at this stage is personal rather than about external validation. She noted that the group shared a conviction in their collective potential and a clear-eyed focus on delivering results as a unit.

Allen also noted that playoff basketball demands a collective approach, adding that individual play undermines a team's chances — a dynamic that, in her view, explained the squad's strong performance against Minnesota.