History, energy, determination and some more history. That's been the story through Angel Reese's debut WNBA playoff run. It's safe to say that those naysayers who have trailed her since college are quickly being quieted.
A year ago, Reese's future was up in the air. She was still with the Chicago Sky, amid some turmoil and two poor seasons. Ultimately, she was traded to the Atlanta Dream in a move Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca called "...a great opportunity for all parties."
Needless to say, it was a career-changing opportunity for Reese, who is now two wins away from her first WNBA ring. As the seventh-overall draft pick in 2024, she has made her Finals debut before any player who went before her. But she knew this was inevitable — she manifested it. A little over a year ago, when things with Chicago still seemed to be pending, Reese tweeted, "manifesting the finals>>>."
Fast forward, Atlanta has welcomed her with open arms, and she's now helped lead them to their first Finals appearance in 13 years. But perhaps more impressively has taken the series by the horns — proving no one on that court is more determined and energized to earn a ring than herself.
Angel Reese's performance through playoffs
The Dream remained undefeated through the first two rounds of the playoffs — sweeping the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. Through those five games, Reese averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
During Game 1 of the Finals, we saw the typical dominant Reese in the first half. She put up 14 points and shot above 60 percent from the field. However, things went downhill after the break. Reese finished the game with 14 points and 12 rebounds, failing to drain a single basket in the second half, and, to be frank, the whole team struggled to close out the game — the Valkyries claimed the 1-0 lead.
In hindsight, Game 1 seems to be haunting these Dream players, specifically Reese. She has expressed that she feels like that was their game to win and it just slipped away from them. That's been apparent in Games 2 and 3, as Reese has done everything in her power to ensure that she does not have a repeat of the second half of Game 1.
In Game 2, Reese finished the night with a whopping 30 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. She shot a playoff-high 62.5 percent from the field. In Game 3, she recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Atlanta has won two straight and has claimed a 2-1 series lead.
Reese has been the Dream's leading-scorer in four of their eight playoff games thus far.
Making history and joining elite company
Let's talk a little history. Reese's Game 2 performance put her in a group with two elite players — Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones — as the only players to record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Finals game. Coincidentally enough, Stewart and Jones just had their season ended by Reese and the Dream mere weeks ago. But directly after the heartbreaking sweep, they had some kind words for Reese as she embarked on her first Finals experience.
After making history, Reese told USA Sports that after that last semifinal game in New York, Jones and Stewart told her, "Go get it." She continued, "They told me to keep going and pushing through... Shoutout to them; I'm just doing whatever it takes to win."
The history-making didn't stop there — in fact, it's likely still not done. On Wednesday night, Reese became the first player in WNBA history to record three double-doubles in their first three Finals games.
Playing with energy
Game 2 was the Dream's first-ever Finals win as a franchise — they were previously 0-10. Game 3 was their first Finals win playing in front of their home crowd, who have been credited with the energy they've brought. In the post-game presser, Reese stated, "Man, our fans showed up... in every single possession. On a Wednesday, on a school night, y'all got work tomorrow. I appreciate y'all."
While Reese's energy was inspiring during Game 2, Game 3 in Atlanta was an entirely new story. She was fired up for the whole 40 minutes. From too-small gestures every chance she got, making it known that her defenders couldn't guard her, to celebrating with a courtside Alyssa Thomas after a big shot from DeWanna Bonner. And it goes without saying that energy fueled her game — from crafty behind-the -back passes to two drained 3-pointers, you could feel it through the screen.
When asked about how it seemed like everyone was feeding off of Reese's energy on Wednesday night, she responded, "... I just want to make sure I bring energy... I think it's contagious. When you have a mentality that started from me, where I'm hype all the time and bringing the confidence into everybody like... Ya'll not taking this from us. In my heart, I'm not letting you take this from us and I think it becomes contagious within the team."
'The crown she wears is heavy'
A TMZ reporter recently caught up with Reese's Team USA teammate and friend, Paige Bueckers. When asked about Reese, she stated, "I'm really happy for her. To see her thrive on the biggest stage, she deserves it; she works for it... The crown that she wears is heavy, but she wears it well, and she wears it with pride..."
After the Dream punched their ticket to the Finals, women's basketball legend and NBC commentator Cheryl Miller expressed excitement. She stated, "Remember all the chatter? Yeah, she's a great rebounder, but she can't finish around the basket. She's always missing— What's the narrative now? Oh... Finals!"
She's not the only one who's pleased with Reese getting the respect she deserves. Sports writer Jemele Hill tweeted, "Let the apologies be as loud as the disrespect. Whole ‘lotta people owe Angel Reese an apology."
Critics have been picking apart every move that Reese makes since her LSU days — on and off the court. Yet, she's handled it with grace. Well, now, there's nothing on the stat sheet for them to pick at — of course, they'll still cling to whatever else they can, but Reese has silenced them when it comes to her gameplay.
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