Source: Ishika Samant / Getty
Angel Reese is headed to the WNBA Finals in just her third season in the league and her first with the Atlanta Dream.
After taking home this season’s distinguished Defensive Player of the Year award, the 24-year-old basketball superstar has led her team to the Finals where they will face off against the newly established Golden State Valkyries, who punched their ticket by defeating the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces. Reese has been unstoppable this season, playing her best basketball on both ends of the floor and establishing herself as one of the most skilled players in the league.
At the start of the season, the Dream added Reese to a roster that included Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada—a squad, though packed with great scorers and playmakers, that hadn’t made it deep into the playoffs in a decade. They also brought in veteran help from All Star Dewanna Bonner and had talent like Te-hina Pao Pao, who won a National Championship with the South Carolina Gamecocks before being selected 18th overall in the 2025 draft. But it was the Barbie who would help them make it all come together.
In Friday’s game, Reese showed, once again, why she’s the team’s leader on the floor. She notched a team high of 22 points to go with nine rebounds and three assists. She averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in the series, which was a 3-0 sweep of the New York Liberty.
Reese has had a gargantuan task ahead of her since being drafted in 2023. Having been a champion at every level, including in college, she should have been the toast of the WNBA. However, blatant racism and aggressive comparisons between her and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark often interfered with the ability of sports media and basketball fans to celebrate her talents. Her time on the Chicago Sky didn’t seem to help with the ongoing issues as the team’s leadership and front office often failed to protect her against baseless attacks.
But Reese quickly found a home amongst the Dream players, fans and supporters. The team’s synergy and the city’s flair seemed to path the Barbie perfectly, with the positivity extending to the court. Since her trade, Reese has notched herself another double-double record, picked up the DPOY, become a two-time All Star, helped bring home a FIBA victory and is now headed to the WNBA Finals.
In a post-game conference, Reese spoke on the road to getting to her first Finals appearance and why the Dream is the perfect team to have met that goal with.
“I manifested this when I came to Atlanta. I knew what I was getting. The finals. The finals,” she said. “This team has poured so much into me. We poured so much into each other. I was watching the finals from home for the last two years and kept saying, just give me one playoff game. I manifest a lot of things and think it’s important to speak positively into your life and your team, but this is all God. I’m thankful and blessed to be here and won’t take it for granted.”
And when it comes to playing for a WNBA championship, Reese knows that it was all destiny.
“I knew I belonged here and wanted to help this team do whatever it took – not just get out of the first round or semi-finals, but make the finals and win a championship,” she said. “The job isn’t done. We’re happy, but not satisfied.”
The Dream and the Valkyries will tip-off the WNBA Finals on Oct. 17.
