After Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese completely dismissed the idea that the Golden State Valkyries defense was responsible for her scoreless second half during a 68-64 loss.
When asked in her postgame press conference whether the Valkyries made adjustments to slow her down after a hot start, Reese deflected credit away from the opponent, and basically chalked it up to her lack of aggression on the offensive end.
Reese Says Valkyries Defense Didn’t Stop Her
“I don’t think they really did anything. Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball, trying to get the ball and get to my spot. So I’m definitely going to do a better job of that next game,” Reese said.
A supremely aggressive Reese scored 11 of her 14 points in the first quarter and finished the night with a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and a block).
However, she went scoreless (0-for-3 from the field) and committed three turnovers and five fouls after halftime. And while she says the Valkyries — top defense in the league — weren’t the reason, it played more of a factor than the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is leading on.
Valkyries Vaunted Defense
Golden State and star Gabby Williams, who led all scorers with 26 points, tightened up defensively as the Valkyries mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, holding Atlanta to just eight points in the final period.
That’s what enabled the Valkyries to overcome a five-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter. By context, neither team shot it great (Dream 32.8 percent and GSV 32.1 percent), but it was the timely stops by the Valkyries in the fourth quarter that determined the outcome.
Fans Chime In
As with anytime Reese speaks it draws plenty of attention, and this time was no different as fans took to social media to give their opinions on the matter.
“Why feed her ego… she is not a good player and if they called real basketball rules… she’d score a few points a game,” a fan said.
“Two ‘middle school’ dribbling TOs and a missed lay up….then crickets,” another critic added.
“They didn’t do anything, is bold when you couldn’t score after halftime,” one observer quipped.
Other fans agreed with Reese about her assessment that she was mostly uninvolved in the second-half offense.
“They stopped going to her smh play through Angel!!!” a fan mentioned.
“That’s leadership! Demand the rock next game,” another fan commented.
“Yea she barely getting the ball in the second half was terrible,” a fan replied.
Expect More Aggressive Reese In Game 2
Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco. With the Dream looking to send the series back to Atlanta tied at 1-1, they’re gonna need the best version of Reese on both ends to do so.
