The WNBA Finals are deadlocked at 2-2, and anyone watching knows this truth: as Angel Reese goes, so goes the Atlanta Dream. Her individual ascendance late in the season powered their rise, but now, in this championship series, the correlation between Reese’s play and Atlanta’s results is undeniable. It’s all eyes on Angel for Game 5, not just because of her massive persona and popularity, but because her performance has been absolutely pivotal to every single game’s outcome.
The Tale of Two Angels in the Finals
We’ve seen both sides of the coin in this series. In the second half of Game 1 and for all of Game 4, the Golden State Valkyries managed to lock Reese down. And what happened? The Valkyries walked away with comfortable wins. It wasn’t a coincidence. But then, you had Games 2 and 3, and Angel was absolutely unleashed. She captained the Dream to dominating, comfortable wins with her sheer force of will and incredible displays. This kid thrives on the big stage, the brighter the spotlight, the more she brings it. But with the championship on the line, the Valkyries are coming with everything they have.
The Coaching Chess Match: Nakase’s Lockdown vs. Smesko’s Unleash
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase has been maniacally obsessed with making Reese uncomfortable, and she hasn’t been shy about her strategy. After winning Game 1, Nakase bluntly said her approach was, “Don’t let her touch it.” Following Game 4, she praised her team for being “locked into the details,” specifically crediting their composure and the rim protection from Kiah Stokes as crucial to preventing another Reese masterclass.
So, how does Dream head coach Karl Smesko respond? Knowing Golden State is sending extra defensive attention, does Smesko double down and prioritize offensive strategies that feature Angel? Or does he get crafty, leveraging all that defensive gravity Reese draws to generate prime opportunities for her teammates? After Angel’s historic Game 2, Smesko put it simply: “We have to take advantage if they’re sending doubles or multiple bodies [at Angel Reese].” For Dream fans, the ideal answer is probably “Yes!” Do both, and then some. It’s easy to say Atlanta needs to get Angel the ball, something she profanely, and rightfully, demanded in Game 2. The question is how and where on the floor can she operate freely?
This Monday night, it all comes down to Game 5 in Ballhalla. Catch all the action at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network/CNBC. This is it for the championship. The coaches have laid out their cards, now it’s up to the players to execute. Get ready, because this is going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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