OAKLAND — Angel Reese grabbed Natalie Nakase by the waist and twirled her in the air. Together, with the U.S. Women’s National Team, they had become winners.
Now, in the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream star and the Valkyries’ head coach stand in each other’s way.
Reese is one of the most dangerous post presences in the league and will be a key player for the Dream in their quest to upset Nakase’s Valkyries. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday afternoon at Chase Center.
“She’s the ultimate, ultra competitor to me,” Nakase said of Reese, who has been an All-Star in each of her three seasons in the WNBA and last month, along with Nakase, helped the United States win the FIBA World Cup. “When we were at USA, you heard her voice constantly. So when she didn’t start, you heard her.
“She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed, she constantly called them out when we needed energy. So, understanding she’s a huge reason why I think that team is in the Finals, Atlanta, because she brings this competitive edge and she’s not gonna let any possession slip.”
Kayla Thornton #5 of the Golden State Valkyries goes up to shoot over Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky during the second half at Chase Center on June 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Dream traded two first-round draft picks for the 24-year-old Reese in April, adding the Chicago Sky star in a stunning blockbuster trade.
Reese put together a dominating regular season that saw her win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, edging out the Valkyries’ Gabby Williams. Reese averaged a career-high 16.4 points this season, but it is on the boards where the 6-foot-4 Reese really dominates. She led the WNBA in rebounding this season after finishing second in each of her first two years in the league.
“It doesn’t change nothing that we do,” Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton said of Reese’s rebounding. “She’s good at what she does, we just have to make sure we execute what we need to and box her out.”
Right after the 2025 season ended, Reese posted on Twitter, “Manifesting the finals.” It turned out, 364 days later, that would become true – just not with the Sky, which took Reese seventh overall in the star-studded 2024 draft that included Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Reese’s road to the Finals is similar to that of Williams, who was Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 2018 but discovered new life — and more team success — following a trade. Chicago was 23-61 during Reese’s first two seasons, but Atlanta was building a team it thought could make a championship run and envisioned the former LSU star as its centerpiece.
“A lot of people wish they were here, and I’m not going to take this moment for granted,” Reese told Atlanta reporters on Tuesday. “I’m here for a reason. We’re all here for a reason. It just shows the power of the tongue. Being able to speak things into your life. When you speak positive things in your life, it happens. You manifest big things and big dreams and have those goals and you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever shoots against Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on June 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Colin Hubbard/Getty Images)
Reese grew up in Randallstown, Maryland, and as a senior was rated the No. 2 college prospect in the nation behind Paige Bueckers (and ahead of Clark) by ESPN. She chose Maryland, which is about 45 miles south of her hometown. Reese transferred to LSU in 2022 as a junior and went on to win a national title in 2023, famously getting thrown into a discourse around her and then-Iowa star Clark.
Reese’s WNBA career has been on an upward trajectory since she arrived and finished second to Clark in the Rookie of the Year voting.
The Valkyries’ Kaila Charles played with Reese in AAU with Team Takeover in Maryland. Charles also played for the Terrapins, although she graduated the year before Reese arrived on campus.
“It’s really cool to see like her journey, where she’s come from, and how big she is, and the name that she’s built for herself, but also the things that she’s done for the community and giving back, and just representing Black women,” Charles said. “So it’s very proud to see, especially coming from Maryland.”
With Reese anchoring the middle, Atlanta has been one of the most difficult teams in the WNBA to battle in the paint this season. The Dream’s 35.6 rebounds per game were second in the league during the regular season, and a lot of that is from Reese’s league-record 521 rebounds. She averaged 12.1 per game and also led the league with 4.8 offensive boards per contest.
That helped the Dream lead the league with 4.2 second-chance points per game.
Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream reacts after a no call against the Golden State Valkyries during the second half at Chase Center on June 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
“She’s relentless on the boards,” Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton said. “She’s relentless on the ball side and the basketball. She’s an energy player as well.”
In the playoffs, Reese is averaging 18 points and 8.4 rebounds with 2.2 blocks per game across five contests.
“With our great rebounders, there’s only one thing you can really do is try to box out,” Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes said. “I mean, that’s as simple as that. I mean, she’s definitely going to be hard on the box out. You might need a few people to do that, but at the end of the day, it’s really as simple as boxing out. So we just got to make sure we’re on point with the timing and doing that every single time.”