SAN FRANCISCO – Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko’s facial expression never changed as he watched Angel Reese warm up for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.
The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year Reese practiced her shot all around the court, and Smesko’s lips stayed in the same straight line as his eyebrows maintained a furrowed focus from the baseline under the basket.
Her gaze never seemed to make its way toward her coach. Viewing Reese’s pregame routine is what Smesko has always done, and she was focused on the rim.
When Reese finally looked at Smesko, in one of the final private moments before tipoff, her facial expression foreshadowed the historic stat to come in the Dream’s 79-65 win over the Valkyries Monday,
Oct. 19, at Chase Center.
”Going into the locker room, the first person I made eye contact with was Angel, and I'm like, ‘Oh I like this look. I like this look,’” Smesko said. “She was just fantastic, on both ends of the floor. Just a superior performance.”
Reese posted a 30-point, 16-rebound double-double to fuel the Dream’s first Finals victory across four series in franchise history. The performance evened the series 1-1 after the Atlanta fell 68-64 in Game 1, where Reese didn't score at all in the second half and took three shots in the final 26 minutes.
Monday, she already had 15 points in her first 16 minutes in the game.
“I let the team down last game,” Reese said. “So I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark and did whatever I could to get the win. And I think I did that.”
When asked what changed in Game 2, Reese had an easy answer: “I was hungry. We wanted one and we felt like we let one slip away.”
Reese’s energy is unmatched
At 24 years old, Reese entered Monday’s game as the youngest player in the Dream’s starting lineup and came out of it as the youngest player to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game in league history.
Reese joined Jonquel Jones, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson as the only players to accomplish such a feat – doing so just days after Stewart and Jones encouraged Reese to “Go get it.. Keep going and keep pushing,” despite being on the wrong end for the Dream’s sweep of the New York Liberty in the semifinals, Reese said.
This is the impact Dream guard Rhyne Howard imagined when Reese arrived to the team via a trade from the Chicago Sky this offseason.
“She's going to be the youngest to set a lot of these records with just how good of a player she is and still being in her third season,” Howard told USA TODAY after the win. “Seeing her come out tonight, she had a completely different mindset. Nobody was satisfied with the outcome of Game 1.
"She came out and she really set the tone and we followed her lead.”
Howard, who set a WNBA Finals single-game record with six steals Monday night, wasn’t the only Dream players to say the team goes as Reese goes.
From Reese’s signature chest bumps to encouraging punches after good plays, Howard described Reese as less talk and more action. But that doesn’t mean Reese is afraid to use her words.
In the third quarter of Game 2, Reese stomped on the court and walked back on defense after her calls for the ball weren’t met with a pass. A few minutes later, she yelled “give me the (expletive) ball!” multiple times in transition.
That didn’t bother Atlanta point guard Jordin Canada, who finished with 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
"Angel is such a generational talent, just to see her thrive in the Finals has been really special to watch," Canada said. "You can just see that she wants it really bad. We feed off her energy."
Reese breaks Valkyries game plan
There was a frenzied glint in Reese’s eyes as she went in takeover mode against the WNBA's best defense in front of what many players have described as the league's loudest fan base.
It was a reminder of what has earned Reese her “Loco Cinco” nickname, although it’s a less popular one than her many “Barbie” monikers.
More known for basketball insanity is Valkyries Natalie Nakase, who seemed woefully aware Reese’s dominance was looming before Monday’s game even began.
When Nakase was reminded in her pregame interview with reporters that Reese came out of Game 1 saying she needed to be more aggressive, the Valkyries coach was asked how her team could defend a determined Reese without fouling.
“Don’t let her touch it,” Nakase said, eventually laughing.
"She’s a tough coverage, even when she has the ball. She just drives with force. So it’s just taking away the shot that she wants… I’m looking forward to our four best quarters of defense. It will be, today.”
Under Nakase’s breath, the words “it better be,” came out almost like a prayer. One that went unanswered.
For Valkyries center Kiah Stokes, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint how Reese — who shot 10-of-16 from the field and 9-of-11 from the field — broke the Valkyries’ game plan.
“She does a great job of taking advantage of mismatches. She just has a great motor. She works really hard. She makes it difficult not to foul her. She can finish with her right and her left hand,” Stokes said of Reese. “So we really just got to get back to the drawing board and see what else we can come up with.”
Game 3, when it tips off Wednesday at State Farm Arena an Atlanta, will tell how much the Valkyries defensive adjustments will matter if Reese simply decides once again she’s not losing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese said she let Dream down. Her Game 2 response was historic
