During Saturday's Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, the Dream looked like they had a chance to steal home court advantage, leading 64-61 with three minutes remaining. Instead, they gave that game away, losing 68-64. Angel Reese was notably quiet as that game progressed.
"I think I let my team down the last game, not really contributing as much as I could in the second half," Reese told reporters on Monday night.
Reese was not going to let that happen again in Game 2. With five minutes left in the third quarter and the game tied at 42, the tide shifted as she literally demanded the ball.
Reese had been frozen out of several possessions in a row and clapped her hands angrily at coach Karl Smesko. On the ensuing play, she received an outlet pass and took it herself down the length of the court, scoring on an and-one layup.
Cameras caught her shouting to "get me the f—ing ball" as she strode towards her teammates.
Angel Reese knows that she needs to get the ball more for the Dream to win, and she's not afraid to say it. https://t.co/JHr1XxzDSq
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 20, 2026The Dream got the message after that point. They fed Reese for 12 points in her final 12 minutes, extending their lead up to as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter before settling on a 79-65 win.
Reese was nothing short of outstanding, putting the team on her back and giving one of the best Finals performances in recent memory. Her 30 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks, and one steal only begin to scratch the surface of a game in which she proved all of her critics wrong on the league's biggest stage.
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Angel Reese quelled concerns about her shooting ability
Ever since she debuted in the WNBA, critics have noted Reese's poor field goal percentage. She was not a good shooter over her first two years in the league, particularly on shots at the rim.
Reese's touch has looked a lot better during the close of the Dream's regular season and through the playoffs. She has been the Sky's best offensive weapon, as a screener, passing hub, offensive rebounder, and scorer.
We already knew Angel Reese was an elite defender after she won DPOY. She's also been the best offensive player in the Finals. https://t.co/ghaDE7Ghwg
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 20, 2026Reese's struggles finishing at the rim have dramatically improved as the pressure has risen. She's been extremely aggressive in trying to go right through defenders, and she's been converting on most of those chances.
Angel Reese said she was going to be more aggressive tonight. Definitely seeing that in the first half. https://t.co/fdNPT8NsT4
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 20, 2026Reese has even flashed some 3-point shooting in the playoffs. Her career 18.9 percentage from 3 is up to 40 percent on 2.1 attempts per game in the playoffs, including 1-of-2 in the Finals.
What makes Reese's feat even more impressive is that she is becoming a Shaq-level scorer in the face of one of the best defenses the W has ever seen. While her teammates have struggled with the Valkyries hounding them, Reese has thrived.
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Angel Reese is showing she's the best rebounder on the planet
Another popular criticism around Reese has been that she only gets her own rebounds. While this has been completely disproven before, the comment looks even sillier during these Finals as she has shown repeatedly how difficult it is to box her out.
Valkyries have to throw two players at Angel Reese to try and keep her off the glass, they foul her, and she grabs the offensive rebound anyway. https://t.co/cEObqVOOGD
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 20, 2026The Dream's somewhat surprising run to the Finals as a No. 4 seed has been fueled by Reese's ability to allow them to win the possession battle. She's doing the work in the trenches, limiting offensive rebounds for opponents and getting them for her team.
In a stat that speaks for itself, she's averaging 14.0 rebounds, including 4.5 offensive rebounds per game, in the Finals. And even if you were to remove the three offensive rebounds that she gathered off her own misses, she would still be by far the best offensive and defensive rebounder in this series.
Beyond that elite rebounding, Reese has helped win the possession battle by forcing a ton of turnovers with her elite defense. She won Defensive Player of the Year for good reason. She's been a game-changer on that end of the floor.
Angel Reese 2026 Finals Defense. Showing why she’s the DPOY on the biggest stage🔥 https://t.co/GwnaB3ZAwe
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 20, 2026Kiah Stokes is the key to the series for the Valkyries
As dominant as Reese has been, the Valkyries should still feel like they have some hope. They have their own elite defender in Kiah Stokes, who was named Second Team All-Defense this season.
Stokes has guarded Reese extremely well throughout this series. It's been everyone else that Reese has destroyed. Per Nekias Duncan, Stokes has held Reese to just 2-of-9 shooting. Reese is shooting a blistering 13-of-18 against the other Valkyries.
Stokes is one of the few players in the league with the size and strength to at least make it difficult on Reese on the glass. And Stokes has absolutely shut down Reese in one-on-one situations. Stokes has moved her feet well, recorded a few blocks, and gotten several contests that have led to bad misses.
@NekiasNBA Kiah Stokes awesome rebounding and defense against Angel is gonna get lost among Angel destroying everyone else on the Valks (Longer vid on this incoming) https://t.co/3fVOt6QZdT
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 20, 2026For the Valkyries to win this series, they need to maintain that Stokes matchup on Reese as much as possible. And for the Dream, they can't afford to miss Reese when she does get an opponent to switch off her.
Those missed opportunities are what led to Reese screaming at her teammates in that third quarter. Reese had forced Stokes off her for a brief moment, but her teammates couldn't get her the ball in time for her to take advantage. Correcting that error is what turned a tied game into a blowout win.
Reese has always been loud, but she's also always been right.
