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Kelsey Plum Breaks Down 'More Advantageous' Angel Reese Offense vs. Valkyries

Angel Reese’s WNBA Finals debut with the Atlanta Dream ended in a 4-point loss to the Golden State Valkyries, but her mixed statistical line—14 points, 12 rebounds, 5 offensive boards, 2 steals, and 1 block—masked deeper struggles. Reese went ice-cold in the second half, scoring nothing while committing 4 turnovers and 5 fouls, a stark contrast to her 11-point first-quarter surge.

Postgame, Reese admitted she lacked aggression after halftime, while head coach Karl Smesko acknowledged the Dream failed to feed her enough in the second half, leaving her isolated against Golden State’s defensive adjustments. Kelsey Plum weighed in on Reese’s offensive approach, arguing that keeping her in motion—rather than catching her stationary—would exploit the Valkyries’ defense more effectively.

The Valkyries’ Kiah Stokes and Laeticia Amihere stifled Reese with physical, size-matched defense, forcing her into a scoring drought after the first quarter when Thornton and Salan took over guarding duties. With Game 2 on the horizon, Smesko must now devise a way to sustain Reese’s scoring while countering Golden State’s defensive rotations.

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