This is it. Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries. Game 7.
Regardless of the outcome, this contest will be historic, with one team winning their first WNBA title. For the players, legacies are on the line. GOATs and scapegoats will be born.
And at the epicenter of it all is Angel Reese.
When she won the 2023 NCAA national championship with LSU, she was the best player on the floor.
But because some could not handle her braggadocious style, her biggest basketball
moment became about everything but what happened on the floor.
As she entered the WNBA as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the hype and hysteria followed.
While she was one of the league’s brightest rookies for the Chicago Sky, everything was microanalyzed. When she led the league in rebounds, the cynics said she was just grabbing her own misses. It didn’t matter that such a claim was ridiculous and inaccurate. In today’s climate, facts can get drowned out by noise.
But instead of retaliating, she embraced it, and Reese made “Mebounds” shirts while she continued to dominate the glass.
Reese has had her share of slip-ups during her career, like when some saw her demanding that the Sky organization needed to be better as a shot at her teammates. However, the response to any minor misstep by Reese has always gone far beyond what is reasonable.
But once again, Reese didn’t retaliate. In fact, she said little at all. She just kept on working.
Reese earned All-Rookie honors in 2024, has notched three All-Star appearances and this year she not only made the All-WNBA Second Team, but was named the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to making the All-Defense First Team.
Did I mention that she also helped Team USA win the 2026 FIBA World Cup?
Still, one trophy rules them all—and that’s the WNBA championship.
During WNBA Finals Media availability, Reese made the objective simple and clear:
Anywhere I go, I am looking to win.
I have won at every level I have been at. Coming into any situation, I have a winning mentality—no matter what it looks like or what it takes.
In Game 2, that meant Reese had to will her team to victory to avoid falling to 0-2 in the series to the Golden State Valkyries. She scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to take a step towards accomplishing her ultimate goal.
Game 3 was all about protecting Atlanta. Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds in that victory.
Suddenly, a WNBA title and a Finals MVP felt imminent.
That’s the thing about progress, though; it’s not always linear. A pair of losses in Games 4 and 5 and suddenly the Dream had their whole body in the grave.
Game 6 was going to go one of two ways. It was either going to be an Atlanta win, forcing a Game 7 to keep Reese’s ambition alive, or the Valkyries were about to celebrate a title on the road, requiring Reese and the Dream to wait until next year.
Ahead of the do-or-die game, things weren’t easy for Angel and the Dream. Where the game would even be played was a question for days. Eventually, they got the venue they wanted, State Farm Arena, but at a less-than-ideal tip-off time of 12:30 p.m. ET. Was it a mess? Sure? Hectic? You bet.
But a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
Reese led the Dream through murky waters, and they beat the Valkyries 80-69 to even things up at 3-3. In her postgame ESPN interview, Reese talked about the situation.
We ain’t have everybody come out at 12:30 for no reason. We appreciate the fans’ support on a weekday. They came out and supported us every single day, every single game. So, we wanted to make sure we ended this right here.
Now with Game 7 here, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s up to Angel and Atlanta now to finish the job.
This scenario reminds me of an ad Nike ran a couple of years ago stating, “You can’t win, so win.” This statement fits Reese well.
If Reese earns one more victory, she can frustrate her critics forever. Sure, they’ll find something new to say. A different angle to go at, an agenda to push, but it’ll fall on deaf ears.
In sports, while nuance is where the fun is found, the reality lies in the results.
If Reese wins on Saturday, all she’ll have to do is show her critics the ring on her hand, and if she’s smart, it will lie on one specific finger.
