In only her third season in the WNBA, Angel Reese has reached her first WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream, making for an intriguing redemption story after several seasons struggling with the Chicago Sky. On Friday night, Dream helped her team defeat Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty, the champions from two seasons ago. It was a physically intense battle, with Reese getting into it with several Liberty players during the game, including an early double-technical involving Jonquel Jones.
The WNBA All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year reacted to her first appearance in the WNBA Finals, saying they would savor the semifinals win, while also knowing they're not done yet. "Knowing when I came to Atlanta, I wanted to do whatever it takes. Not just to get out of the first round, not just to get out the semis, but to make it to the Finals and win a championship; but the job is not done.
We're definitely happy about where we are right now, but we're not satisfied," Reese said postgame. More news: WNBA Fans Rip Refs Over Angel Reese Confrontation as Dream Eliminate Liberty "I think we just continue to push every single day. We're gonna enjoy this moment tonight, and we put a lot of work in for the season.
We can't shy away that we put a lot of work in for this moment. I'm really proud of this group," she said. The former LSU standout helped the Dream reach the Finals after two seasons with the Chicago Sky at the bottom of the WNBA standings.
This past offseason, Chicago made a blockbuster trade, sending her and 2028 second-round pick swap rights to the Dream for a 2027 first-round draft pick and a 2028 first-round draft pick. Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, where Caitlin Clark went first overall, is now competing for her first championship. She finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal in the win.
Rhyne Howard scored 21 points, while Jordin Canada contributed 19 points and dished out 11 assists. The Liberty fought until the final buzzer, with Breanna Stewart making a layup at the end to cut the lead to two points, but it was too little, too late. Atlanta outrebounded the Liberty 33-29 and forced 10 Liberty turnovers to rattle the No. 8 seed, which had unseated the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in the opening round.
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