Did Angel Reese give up with the WNBA Finals opener still within reach?
· Yahoo Sports
Angel Reese faces Finals criticism
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese drew criticism after the Golden State Valkyries won Game 1 of the 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association Finals. The 68-64 result came Saturday, October 17, at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Reese entered the championship series as the league’s 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, receiving 46 votes from 74 panelists. Online critics questioned her late reaction, although their comments cannot establish precisely what she intended.
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Michele_Morrone/DepositphotosAtlanta Dream missed a late opportunity
Atlanta trailed 66–64 with 23.8 seconds remaining after Golden State center Kiah Stokes made 1 of 2 free throws. The Dream called a timeout to organize their next possession.
Rhyne Howard struggled to get past her defender and passed to Allisha Gray. Gray missed a long 3-pointer in the closing seconds, and Golden State reserve Kaila Charles collected the rebound.
Mojahid_Mottakin/DepositphotosAngel Reese faced criticism from fans
Some viewers on X accused Reese of giving up following Gray’s missed attempt. One commenter urged the forward to keep competing through adversity, while another questioned why she did not immediately pursue the loose ball.
Another viewer questioned Reese’s body language throughout the second half, beyond the disputed final play. The posts reflected personal impressions of effort, rather than verified knowledge of what the forward intended during the Finals opener.
melis82/DepositphotosA late foul sent Gabby Williams to the line
Kaila Charles passed to Gabby Williams after collecting Allisha Gray’s missed attempt. Atlanta fouled Williams with 4.1 seconds remaining, sending her to the free-throw line.
Williams made both attempts to extend Golden State’s lead to 68–64. Atlanta failed to score on its final possession, and the Valkyries secured the Game 1 victory.
lev radin/Shutterstock.comAngel Reese powered Atlanta’s early lead
Reese scored 11 points in the opening quarter, converting five of six field goal attempts. Atlanta finished those 10 minutes ahead 22-14, with the forward repeatedly attacking the basket and finding room near the rim.
The Dream closed the quarter with 11 unanswered points after Golden State briefly held a three-point lead. Reese played eight opening minutes, and Atlanta outscored the Valkyries by 13 points during her time on court.
Keeton Gale/Shutterstock.comGabby Williams drove a halftime comeback
Golden State erased its first-quarter deficit by scoring 28 points in the second period. The Valkyries led 42-39 at halftime after converting 11 of 16 field goal attempts, while Atlanta made only four of 13.
Williams supplied 16 points in that quarter after going scoreless in the first, making six of nine attempts from the field. Her late 3-pointer and a layup following a steal capped Golden State’s 10-0 run.
lev radin/Shutterstock.comAngel Reese did not score after halftime
Reese finished the opening half with 14 points but added none in the final two quarters. She completed the contest with five field goals in 11 attempts and four successful free throws from seven tries.
The Atlanta forward played 35 minutes and grabbed 12 rebounds, including five on offense. She also registered two steals, one block, four turnovers and five personal fouls during her first appearance in the WNBA Finals.
livephotosport/DepositphotosAngel Reese addressed her scoring struggles
Reese said after the game that she had not been aggressive enough when seeking the ball and reaching her preferred positions on offense. She questioned whether Golden State had made any defensive adjustment against her.
The forward told reporters she intended to improve that approach in Game 2. Her explanation concerned offensive involvement after halftime and did not directly address specific social media accusations about the final missed scoring opportunity.
DepositphotosKarl Smesko identified a passing problem
After Game 1, Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko said his team relied too heavily on individual offense after halftime. He wanted better ball movement and more organized actions against Golden State’s defense.
Smesko also said Atlanta had not involved Reese enough following her productive first half. He identified those issues as priorities to discuss with his players before Game 2.
steho/DepositphotosAtlanta Dream scored eight final quarter points
Atlanta entered the fourth quarter ahead 56-51 after holding Golden State to four field goals in 25 attempts during the third. The Dream then managed just two successful attempts from 19 in the final period.
Atlanta missed all seven 3-point attempts during those closing 10 minutes. Howard provided the team’s final points at 3:12 remaining in regulation, and Golden State finished on a 7-0 run to claim the Finals opener.
Fun fact: A giant purple egg appeared near Chase Center in 2025. Four days later, Golden State unveiled its raven mascot, Violet, during halftime.
steho/DepositphotosAtlanta Dream scored 8 fourth-quarter points
Atlanta entered the fourth quarter ahead 56–51 after holding Golden State to 4-of-25 shooting in the third. The Dream then made just 2 of 19 field-goal attempts in the final period.
Atlanta missed all 7 of its fourth-quarter 3-pointers. Howard scored the Dream’s final points with 3:12 remaining, and Golden State closed on a 7–0 run.
Fun fact: A giant purple egg appeared in Thrive City near Chase Center on August 7, 2025. Golden State introduced its raven mascot, Violet, at halftime on August 11.
Keeton Gale/Shutterstock.comKiah Stokes strengthened Golden State’s defense
Golden State center Kiah Stokes finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, tying her postseason career high in blocks. She said limiting Reese’s touches, boxing out and rebounding were defensive priorities after halftime.
Golden State collected 41 individual rebounds to Atlanta’s 35, including a 12–7 advantage on the offensive glass. The Valkyries also outscored the Dream 20–6 off the bench.
Keeton Gale/Shutterstock.comAllisha Gray led Atlanta after injury
Gray returned to Atlanta’s lineup after missing 2 semifinal games against the New York Liberty because of a finger injury. She led the Dream with 19 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
Rhyne Howard added 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting, while Jordin Canada contributed 8 points and 7 assists. Gray missed all 7 of her fourth-quarter field-goal attempts and did not score in the period.
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wolterke/DepositphotosAtlanta Dream face another Finals test
Atlanta defeated Golden State 79–65 in Game 2 at Chase Center on October 19, tying the best-of-7 WNBA Finals at 1–1. Angel Reese led the Dream with 30 points and 16 rebounds.
Golden State won all 3 regular-season meetings between the teams in 2026. Atlanta is scheduled to host Game 3 at State Farm Arena on October 21 at 8 p.m. Eastern, followed by Game 4 on October 24 at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Sophie Cunningham reacted strongly to a controversial no-call involving Angel Reese. Explore what happened on the court and why the moment drew attention.
Did Angel Reese miss a chance to keep Atlanta in contention, or were fans too quick to judge her reaction? What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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