Ahead of the 2026 WNBA Finals Game 1, Golden State Valkyries’ head coach Natalie Nakase publicly accepted knowing who exactly she was going against. “An ultimate ultra competitor,” she said of Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese. But the praise wasn’t just about the output she had on the hardwood. It was more about the change in mentality she can force on her teammates. That was visible in the new story that broke out about her during the regular season.

Back then, her teammates Allisha Gray and Natasha Howard bought regular tickets for a concert. When Reese saw it, she took away those tickets and reminded them of one thing that they had seemingly forgotten: “We are the stars.” The trio did attend the concert, but went in from the backstage, also sharing the stage with the artist. That camaraderie and sisterhood directly translates on the court, where Reese keeps reminding her teammates that they are the stars. In the first half of Game 1, that trick was working. Until it fizzled out in the second half. But ask Reese, and she believes it wasn’t the opponents, but her own motivation that was faulty.

The Golden State Valkyries outscored the Atlanta Dream 17-8 in the final 10 minutes of Finals Game 1. The Dream went on to lose the tight game 68-64, and rather than what their opponents did right in the final minutes of the game, Angel Reese had an honest take about her performance, especially her display in the final two quarters of the game.

“I don’t think they really did anything,” Reese said in the post-game press conference when asked about her outing in the second half of the game. “Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball, trying to get the ball and get to my spot. So I’m definitely going to do a better job of that next game.”

The way Angel Reese started the game against the Valkyries at Chase Center, it looked like she was on a personal vendetta to take over Balhalla. She had 11 points and three rebounds in the opening ten minutes alone with a hundred percent accuracy from the field. But things quickly turned for her.

In the second quarter, she missed a shot and could only make three points off of free throws. Her relentlessness in the paint also simmered as she collected only three rebounds. But worse news was her turnover, after which Golden State’s Tiffany Hayes stole the ball and dished it to Gabby Williams for a three-pointer that gave the hosts a 40-37 lead. Unfortunately, it was all a tumble from there.

She went scoreless in the second half, attempting only three shots in the final twenty minutes. Reese finished the game with 14 points from the first half, 12 rebounds, two steals, and a block. But she also committed five fouls and four costly turnovers. In total, the Valkyries converted the Dream’s 12 turnovers into 17 points, showing the same defense that they had throughout the regular season. But while Reese says it was her fault that she wasn’t aggressive enough, Nakase knows just why the forward was shut down for most of the game.

Natalie Nakase reveals the secret behind Reese’s deflating performance on the forward’s record night

The game went to the wire, with the lead changing hands between the two teams several times. But despite the Dream dominating the game for 79 percent of the time, Golden State’s fourth-quarter push, which included a 7-0 run in the final 2:15 minutes of the game, all on free throws, turned the emotions around for everyone.

After making a shot that trimmed Atlanta’s lead to 62-61, Gabby Williams added six of those seven points off of free throws for the Valkyries. But while Williams was the offensive cannon for the hosts, another person was shackling down Reese.

Natalie Nakase credited forward Laeticia Amihere for her performance after the game, who helped the Valkyries by shutting down Angel Reese, especially in the second half.

“I thought [Amihere] did a fantastic job with that matchup [on Angel]. LA had great energy; again, she was kind of our insight with this game plan, and so you could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup,” said Nakase. “[Amihere] was really key tonight for our success.”

Amihere finished the game with five points, five rebounds, one steal, and a block in 14 minutes of playing time in the game. But what the scoreboard won’t show is her guarding tactics against one of the most relentless forwards in the league. And despite the loss, Reese was able to make enough impact to grab some records.

Reese became the fastest player to reach 100+ points, 10+ steals, and 10+ blocks in WNBA/NBA playoff history. Also, at 24 years and 164 days, Reese became the youngest center in WNBA history to record a double-double on her Finals debut, according to The Sporting News. The star was also stuck in some controversies around the officiating, only making the loss worse.

Angel Reese engulfed in controversies ahead of Game 2

After Sophie Cunningham called out Reese for her “dangerous” play in the semifinals against the New York Liberty, Reese was again the point of focus.

First, her contact with Veronica Burton went uncalled for in the second half of the game. When Burton was going for a layup, being guarded by Atlanta’s Naz Hillmon, Reese stepped in and swapped her hands across Burton’s face. The latter fell on the floor clutching her mouth, but no call went against Reese.

On the very next possession, Reese was called for a personal foul on Gabby Williams. It seemed that Reese hit Williams in the face as the two attempted to grab the ball. But some fans thought the play should have been reviewed to check whether the foul was a flagrant.

The uncalled foul could have had serious implications for Reese, who came dangerously close to fouling out of the game. For now, while Reese may have taken the onus for this close loss, Atlanta as a team needs to strategize better for the next game at Chase Center because they also did not fare any better offensively in this game.

The team recorded a FG% of just 33, making just 21 of their 64 shots from the field. In a series that was always expected to be a close matchup between the two best defensive maestros in the league, those missed chances on Atlanta’s part proved costly.

The Valkyries will also look to diversify their scoring in the next game, as Gabby Williams was the only player who scored in double digits for them. With 26 points, Williams was the highest scorer on the night, while adding four rebounds and two assists.

Game 2 of the Finals will be played on October 19 at the Chase Center, with the Valkyries looking to go up 2- 0 behind the full force of ‘Balhalla.’