Angel Reese of Atlanta Dream © X/@AtlantaDream Mervin LR Sun, October 18, 2026 at 10:29 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Atlanta Dream are going to even their WNBA Finals matchup with the Golden State Valkyries, it begins with finding an answer to consistently feeding Angel Reese.
The newly minted Defensive Player of the Year started hot, scoring 11 of Atlanta's 22 points in the first quarter. However, Reese went scoreless in the second half as the Dream suffered a 68-64 loss to the Valkyries in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center on Saturday.
It was also Atlanta's first loss of the postseason. The Dream had dominant stretches throughout the game but could not sustain that level of play for all 40 minutes, allowing Golden State to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
For ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, one of Atlanta's biggest takeaways should be the need to keep Reese involved offensively. On "Chiney Today" on Sunday, Ogwumike pointed to the forward's first-quarter performance as evidence of the problems she can create when given opportunities to attack.
"Probably my biggest takeaway from Atlanta is that they have to continue to make Angel Reese a threat. Because when everyone was missing shots left, right and center, out emerged in the first quarter Angel Reese, and it looked like no one could guard her," Ogwumike said (Timestamp: 7:30).
Valkyries center Kiah Stokes was the one defender who gave Reese trouble, but when Stokes went to the bench, Reese found success against other defenders, including Kayla Thornton. The problem was that Reese barely saw the ball in the second half and did not score. Ogwumike believes Atlanta needs to keep trusting Reese in crucial moments instead of moving away from what was working.
"They have to continue to feed her, because her aggression just puts Golden State on their heels," she said.
As Golden State tightened its defensive approach against Reese in the second half, Atlanta gradually lost control of the game. Instead of dictating the game, the Dream found themselves chasing it, with the team looking out of sync on several possessions.
The good news for Atlanta is that the playoffs leave little time to dwell on a loss. The Dream will have an opportunity to respond on Monday in Game 2, but they will need a more consistent offensive performance to even the series. Keeping Reese involved and allowing her to attack with confidence could be crucial if Atlanta hopes to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole in the WNBA Finals.
On a brighter note, Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream know that their performance in Game 1 did not fairly represent who they are as a team.
Reese was honest about Atlanta's shortcomings and acknowledged that there is plenty to improve upon as the series progresses.
"I don't think they really did anything," Reese said about her limited shot attempts in the second half. "I wasn't aggressive enough with the ball. I'm definitely going to do a better job of that next game."
And there were positives, as Atlanta led for much of the game and, if not for a few mistakes, could have pulled off an upset road win. There is a different gear the Dream are capable of reaching, and that's what they have to figure out heading into Game 2.
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