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ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 16: Angel Reese 5 of Atlanta reacts during the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on August 16th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 16 Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260816018
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was able to score 18 of her 22 points before halftime on Friday. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart was able to score 18 of her 26 points after the break, but the Dream still won 85-83.
According to an ESPN postgame interview, Reese said, “I manifested this. When I got to Atlanta, I knew that I wanted to be here. This organization has done so much for me.”
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Phoenix Mercury v Atlanta Dream COLLEGE PARK, GA - AUGUST 5: Angel Reese 5 of the Atlanta Dream shoots the ball during a game between Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on August 5, 2026 in College Park, Georgia. 9589
Reese’s statement is backed by evidence. Reese posted the Finals prediction on October 10, 2025, and she resurfaced it with the caption “364 DAYS LATER” after the sweep.
The Dream earned its first Finals appearance since 2013 after the sweep.
Beyond the locker room walls, the response got louder. After the sweep on X, The Atlantic reporter Jemele Hill stated, “Let the apologies be as loud as the disrespect. Whole ‘lotta people owe Angel Reese an apology.”
She secured 46 out of 74 first-place Defensive Player of the Year votes, and at 24, became the second-youngest to combine that award with a Finals appearance, following Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner.
For Reese, the sweep provided her with a statement night; however, it was not the score that remained in her memory but something else.
Angel Reese Credits Her Mother’s Sacrifice for Her Final Run
The Finals spot was not just about making a bracket, but for Reese, it was about what happened after the game when everyone started to celebrate.
Once the celebration began, she embraced her mother in a long hug before the two shared a dap.
In her postgame media session, Reese described a single mother raising two children with help from grandparents.
“She did a lot of work on her own, and for me to repay her, and by her living through me and being able to support me and show up, that’s all I ask for,” Reese said.
“The job is not done. We’re definitely happy about where we are right now, but we’re not satisfied,” Reese added.
The Golden State Valkyries have swept the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, while winning all three games against the Dream.
The seven-game finals will get underway on October 17 in San Francisco, where Reese aims to clinch her first-ever title for the team.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta