With veterans like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray cemented in its core, the Atlanta Dream always looked strong. Until the Indiana Fever’s fast-paced offense got the better of them in Round 1 of the 2025 WNBA playoffs. Now, even though their core remained intact this year, they added a big-energy defensive weapon in Angel Reese, bolstering their team.

So, their next opponents, the Golden State Valkyries, are already wary of what the Eastern Conference leaders (12-4) can do. But they also have a foolproof plan in place to end the visitors’ four-game winning streak.

“We know that we’re bringing a small bow,” Salaun said ahead of the game, per Conrado Pascual. “We’re just going to play hard, follow the game plan, and it should be okay.

“We’re gonna play team defense and hopefully, stop whatever plan they have.”

The Valkyries’ challenges against Atlanta’s physicality aren’t coming in isolation. Gritty defense and a tough physical presence on the court, especially on the glass, have been the currencies the Dream has thrived on this season, behind Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard.

Their number this season mirrors that of the same. For context, Atlanta is currently second in the WNBA in rebounds (35.7) and leads the league in offensive rebounds (11.1), according to WNBA.com.

These second-chance opportunities form an instrumental part of Atlanta’s offense, making them the third-best offensive team in the league with 90.4 points per game. The Dream has also turned its physicality and defensive rebounding into its identity.

Karl Smesko’s team currently boasts one of the best defensive ratings this season (103.7). And the player at the very heart of this dominance is none other than Reese.

The Atlanta forward is a live wire in the frontcourt for her team. She is leading the team in rebounds (11.8 per game, per ESPN) as well as offensive rebounds (5.6 per game). She doesn’t hesitate to do the ugly work on the court, using her gravity in the paint to pull defenders and create spaces for Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. This is only one caveat the Valkyries will have to worry about in the upcoming game. The other is Reese’s offensive growth this year.

For the last two seasons, the forward was trolled for missing most of her shots, even from under the rim, and for stat padding. But this season, she has been just as gritty, averaging 15 points per game. In the last five games, she has averaged 18 points for a 4-1 record.

But Salaun’s hints at their game plan are not without success.

The Valkyries have one of the best defensive engines in the league. They have a defensive rating of 103.6, behind players like Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes. Head coach Natalie Nakase is highly confident of her team’s defense against Angel Reese and Atlanta.

“I know the type of physicality and the type of heart that she plays with. So, we got to match that,” Nakase said before the game, per beat reporter Nathan Canilao. “Like I always said, we do team defense first, and so it’s matchup-based. She averages five or six offensive rebounds. So, we got to make sure we take that away.”

So far in the season, we’ve seen the Golden State Valkyries locking down the best players on the opposition team. Natalie Nakase’s team did the same against Olivia Miles in the Minnesota Lynx game. Although the Valkyries lost the game, they limited the generational rookie to only seven points on 1-of-10 shooting.

But it’s important to understand that Angel Reese isn’t the only source of production for the Atlanta Dream. They have the likes of Howard and Gray, who are averaging 19+ points per game, and even Naz Hilmon in the frontcourt to complement Reese. In all certainty, the Valkyries’ defense will have to be solid for the entire 40 minutes to limit Atlanta’s offense.