Angel Reese told reporters the Atlanta Dream will be back after Golden State beat them 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday night. Reese finished with eight points and 12 rebounds in a loss that handed the Valkyries their first title.
Angel Reese Struggles In Game 7 Of The WNBA Finals
The Dream played the decisive game at Chase Center in San Francisco. ESPN published its recap at 1:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 1, which equals 05:01 UTC. Atlanta led by nine in the middle of the third quarter. Then Gabby Williams took over. According to OutKick, she scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half and won Finals MVP.
Reese shot 3-of-7 for eight points. She grabbed 12 rebounds, nine of them offensive, and added two blocks, a steal and an assist, per Bleacher Report’s box score. She also committed four turnovers, the most on her team, according to Sports Illustrated. OutKick reported she took no field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter. Her last made field goal came with 2:12 left in the third, and her only fourth-quarter point came on a free throw with 18.6 seconds left. Sports Illustrated added one telling number. Before Game 7, the Dream had won all 16 games in which Reese made at least one three-pointer. That streak ended Saturday.
What Reese Said After The Loss
Reese kept her tone steady. ESPN reported she called this the most fun she has had with a group and the most competitive team she has played on. She said the loss hurt most because Atlanta’s fans backed the team all year. Bleacher Report quoted her saying her teammates “changed my life.” CBS Sports carried her line “delayed, not denied,” along with her reminder that this was only her third year in the league.
She also praised coach Karl Smesko for developing the group and said she looks forward to another season with him. Sports Illustrated reported she told reporters her teammates pushed her to mature and challenged her every day, and that she would go through the season with them again.
The series numbers back up the criticism. According to Bleacher Report and CBS Sports, Reese averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in the Finals and recorded four double-doubles. She scored eight or fewer points in three of the Dream’s four losses. Bleacher Report added that Atlanta went 3-1 in Finals games where she recorded a double-double and 0-3 in games where she did not.
Critics Question Her Offense In The Finals
The box score gives critics material. OutKick noted that Reese posted a fourth straight game with more turnovers than made baskets. After Atlanta’s Game 3 win, it reported, she averaged 9.5 points on 12-of-45 shooting, about 27 percent, with 19 turnovers across four games. She still averaged 12.5 rebounds in that stretch. Sports Illustrated pointed to Golden State’s defensive plan. The outlet said the Valkyries assigned Kiah Stokes to guard her and kept her from easy looks in the paint.
Smesko pointed to the whole offense. ESPN reported he called the Dream’s isolation-heavy approach their biggest weakness in the series and said they ran too many empty possessions in Game 7. Atlanta averaged 91.3 points in the regular season, ESPN noted, yet scored fewer than 65 in each of its Finals losses.
Background from earlier in the series: on Oct. 27, EssentiallySports reported that broadcaster Robin Lundberg called Reese “Brick Barbie” after Game 5, a 64-55 loss in which she scored seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and pulled down 15 rebounds. That criticism came before Saturday, and it shows how the conversation around her offense had already formed.
What Comes Next For Reese And The Dream
Reese leaves the season with a long list of honors. CBS Sports reported she won Defensive Player of the Year, made her third All-Star team and earned All-WNBA second-team honors. She also set the single-season rebounding and double-double records and the single-game rebounding record. The honors make her eligible for the EPIC extension, per CBS Sports. Atlanta acquired her from the Chicago Sky in a trade, and this was her first season with the Dream. The loss stings for the franchise too. ESPN noted this was Atlanta’s fourth Finals appearance.
The Dream were swept in the first three, in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Next season, ESPN added, they will play all their home games at State Farm Arena. Watch for her contract talks and for how Atlanta rebuilds its half-court offense. Reese has framed the loss as a setback, not an ending. The next test comes when the team shows whether it can give her more room to score and fewer turnovers to count.
