Almost exactly one year ago, on October 10, 2025, Angel Reese made a prediction. She publicly declared she was manifesting a trip to the WNBA Finals, and now, 364 days later, she has finally accomplished what she set out to do. As the Atlanta Dream forward celebrates her success, one WNBA reporter is calling for her critics to apologize.
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“Let the apologies be as loud as the disrespect,” The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill wrote on X following the Dream’s 3-0 sweep of the New York Liberty.
“Whole ‘lotta people owe Angel Reese an apology.”
Reese was the engine of her team’s success in Game 3. She finished the game with 22 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, and blew up the Liberty’s offensive schemes with her standout defense, helping hold the Liberty’s superstar duo of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart to 10-27 shooting.
What makes Atlanta’s win over New York even more impressive is the circumstances they overcame. Allisha Gray, who led the team in scoring in both the regular season and the first round, was forced to sit out all but 11 minutes of the series following an injury to her shooting hand in Game 1. It didn’t matter, because Reese made sure to pick up the offensive load while continuing to perform on defense.
The forward was named the Defensive Player of the Year before the series tipped off, and with her leading the team to the finals, she became the second-youngest player to log both accomplishments in the same season. She did so at 24, with the only woman to do it before her being Brittney Griner, who was a year younger.
The Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s team, won the WNBA championship that year, and that’s something Reese will look to replicate. The Dream have not won a championship during their time in the league and have not reached the finals since 2013. However, they have been dominant this postseason.
Atlanta has not lost a single game in the playoffs, sweeping the Washington Mystics in the first round before holding off the Liberty. Now, the team will face off against the winner of the series between the #2-seeded Golden State Valkyries and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Regardless of the outcome of that series, Reese was clearly overcome with emotion upon making it to the finals. In the postgame conference following Atlanta’s win over the Liberty in Game 3, she referenced her post from a year ago to show just how far she had come.
“When I came to Atlanta, I knew what I was getting,” she said.
“This team has poured so much into me. We pour so much into each other. We pour so much into each other. I posted and tweeted, 10/10/25, that I was manifesting the finals, and this is my moment. I’m supposed to be here. I thank God for this moment, and I’m just so thankful.”
The Finals run is just a part of what has made Reese’s season so remarkable. She earned 46 of the total 74 first-place votes for the DPOY award, becoming the first player in team history to earn that accomplishment. On top of that, she also set rebounding records all over the board.
She set the record for most rebounds in both a single season and a single game, as well as the single-season double-double. She also finished with the third most steals in the league and, according to Fox Sports, ranked fourth in defensive rating at 100.0.
For now, all Reese has to do is head home and prepare for the upcoming best-of-seven finals series. Regardless of whether she wins the championship or not, it’s clear that she has done enough to prove her critics wrong and has shown that she can contribute to winning at a high level.