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The WNBA is back. So are the tunnel arrivals.
After nearly three weeks without WNBA games during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, players returned to arenas Thursday for the final stretch of the regular season. Angel Reese didn't waste much time bringing back one of the league's most popular pregame traditions. The Atlanta Dream star arrived ahead of Thursday night's game against the Connecticut Sun in a polished black-and-white ensemble that mixed a structured, professional look with Reese's familiar fashion-forward approach.
Reese wore a black cropped jacket over a white top, pairing it with a black skirt, dark sunglasses and a handbag. The monochromatic combination was understated compared with some of the more colorful looks Reese has worn this season, but it still stood out as players returned to the tunnel for the first time since August.
Athlete Vanity shared photos of Reese's arrival.
It was a fitting return for one of the WNBA's most recognizable personalities.
Reese has spent the past few weeks representing Team USA. Now it's back to business in Atlanta.
Angel Reese returns to Dream as world champion
Reese's last few weeks have been memorable even by her standards. The 24-year-old helped Team USA capture the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany, giving Reese her first gold medal with the senior national team.
Angel Reese 📸 https://t.co/yYujvLUs9k pic.twitter.com/G5b1kYbYl8
— Athlete Vanity (@AthleteVanity) September 17, 2026She now rejoins a Dream team preparing for something else Reese hasn't experienced before in Atlanta: a playoff run.
Atlanta entered Thursday at 26-14 and already had secured a postseason berth. The Dream had only four regular-season games remaining, beginning with Connecticut before matchups against Chicago and consecutive games against New York.
Reese was enjoying a historic season before leaving for Germany.
The former LSU star entered the World Cup break averaging 16.1 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game. She had already established WNBA single-season records for total rebounds, offensive rebounds and double-doubles.
Her most recent WNBA game was another statement. Reese recorded her 29th double-double of the season as Atlanta defeated the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, 89-81, on Aug. 30.
The Dream had won five of six entering the break. Thursday represented an opportunity to find that rhythm again.
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WNBA tunnel fashion returns with basketball
The WNBA's pregame tunnel has become much more than the hallway connecting the locker room and court. Players routinely use their arrivals to showcase fashion, personal style and partnerships with designers and brands. Reese has become one of the league's most closely watched players in that space.
Her looks can range from casual streetwear to more formal ensembles, making the pregame arrival another way for her personality to come through.
Thursday's outfit leaned toward the latter.
The black-and-white combination was clean and coordinated without overwhelming the moment. Sunglasses and accessories finished the look before Reese traded everything for her Dream uniform.
There is also considerably more at stake once that uniform goes on. Atlanta is tied with Indiana in the playoff race entering the final stretch, and postseason seeding remains unsettled. The Dream also learned Thursday that veteran center Brionna Jones will miss the remainder of the season with a left leg injury.
That places even more responsibility on Reese in Atlanta's frontcourt. For a few minutes before tipoff, though, the basketball questions could wait.
After almost three weeks without WNBA basketball, Thursday brought back the games, the playoff race and the pregame tunnel.
Reese appeared ready for all three.
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