The Golden State Valkyries are just one win away from their first WNBA championship, leaving the Atlanta Dream with no room for another mistake. Atlanta once held a 2-1 lead in the Finals, but consecutive losses have pushed Angel Reese and her teammates to the brink of elimination. With Game 6 right around the corner, Jordin Canada’s latest admission suggests the problems run deeper than the Dream’s recent slide.

Speaking to Wilton C. Jackson II in an interview, Canada acknowledged that the team had not consistently played to its potential, even when the results went in Atlanta’s way.

“To be quite honest, even in games two or three that we have won, we haven’t been playing the best,” she said.

Canada also explained how Atlanta approached the locker-room conversation after its latest defeat. Rather than allowing the loss to divide the group, the players focused on encouraging one another while recognizing their individual responsibilities. Each teammate must consider what she can do better and how her own performance can help the Dream turn the series around.

Behind Angel Reese, the Dream managed to win Games 2 and 3 of the seven-game series, but those victories did not mean they had everything figured out.

Atlanta scored 79 points in Game 2 before putting up 97 in Game 3 to put Golden State under pressure. However, in Game 2, foul trouble disrupted the Dream’s rhythm. Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese picked up early fouls, which put more pressure on the team’s rotation. Game 3 brought another warning sign, as the Dream allowed Golden State to fight its way back into the contest after building an early lead, although Atlanta eventually won 97-71.

In both games, Atlanta also leaned heavily on Reese, who combined for 51 points, 28 rebounds, and six assists. However, the Dream struggled to maintain that offensive rhythm in their next two games, scoring just 62 and 55 points as they fell behind 3-2 in the series.

Ball security has become a major concern. Atlanta committed 18 turnovers in Game 4, which Golden State converted into 16 points. In Game 5, they had 17 TO’s, off which the Valkyries took 21 points.

Without Angel Reese’s usual offensive production, Atlanta also struggled to find answers. The forward managed just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting on Saturday before finishing with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting on Monday.

But with a do-or-die situation up ahead, the Dream cannot rely on one player to carry them through an elimination game. They need more consistent contributions across the lineup, better decisions with the ball and a way to counter Golden State’s defensive pressure. And Canada believes that starts with how the players support one another on the court.

In her media availability ahead of Game 6, she pointed to the energy Atlanta showed in Game 3, when teammates celebrated each other’s plays regardless of who was on the floor, as something the team needs to rediscover before Game 6.

“We got to support each other more. I’m not saying that we haven’t done that, but I think we need to do a little bit more of that,” she said. “Encouraging each other, like even if it’s getting a turnover or a really big stop, like celebrating that, you know? And I think in game three, we did a really good job of that, of celebrating each other, like no matter who was out on the floor. And I think we got to get back to that a little bit because that’s what gets that confidence going, that swagger that we have. So, we just got to do that a lot more going into tomorrow.”

The Atlanta Dream have not reached the WNBA Finals since 2013, and another defeat would end its latest championship run without a title. So reclaiming that confidence and chemistry could be crucial to keeping their championship hopes alive, but Angel Reese & Co. will need to show it on the court when Game 6 tips off in less than 24 hours.