Angel Reese is headed to her first-ever WNBA Finals, with the Atlanta Dream absolutely sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinal round. The Dream crushed it, going undefeated in the playoffs with a 5-0 record, after taking down the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the first round before that Liberty sweep.
Angel Reese Is Playoff Riser We All Saw Coming
Reese is clearly not shying away from this massive moment. At Finals media day on Friday, she sounded ready for war, telling ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, “You have to be a playoff riser. The greats are built for this. If you want to be considered the best player and well respected, you can’t shy away from the moment.” Atlanta snagged Reese from the Chicago Sky last offseason, and she’s been a total game-changer, putting up a WNBA-high 12.1 rebounds per game in the regular season, alongside 16.4 points and 1.8 steals. In these playoffs, she’s actually bumped her scoring even higher, averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals over five games.
“Winning Mentality” That Delivers Gold
This isn’t Reese’s first rodeo when it comes to big-time wins, even if it is her first WNBA Finals. Back in 2023, she led the LSU Lady Tigers to an NCAA championship, capping off an insane 34-2 season. And get this, just last September, Reese was a key part of Team USA’s undefeated run to a gold medal at the 2026 World Championships. The woman just wins. She even said it herself, again to Kendra Andrews, “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.”
Now, Reese and the Atlanta Dream are squaring off against the Golden State Valkyries. Game 1 of this best-of-seven series kicks off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in San Francisco’s Chase Center. Get ready, because it’s about to be a wild ride to see if Reese can add a WNBA title to her already stacked resume.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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