Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream will be on the road for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday. They will face the Golden State Valkyries, who aim to win a championship in just their second season.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase knows Reese well. The two spent time together with Team USA in Berlin in September for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Nakase was an assistant under head coach Kara Lawson.
On Tuesday, Nakase shared her thoughts on Reese and what the newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year brings to the table.
“Yeah, she’s an ultimate, ultra competitor,” Nakase said of Reese.
“To me, when we were at USA, you heard her voice constantly. So when she didn’t start, you heard her. She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed to. She constantly called them out when we needed energy.
“Understanding she’s a huge reason why I think that team is in the Finals, Atlanta, because she brings this competitive edge and she’s not going to let any possession slip.”
Reese has helped lead her team to an undefeated postseason run in her first playoffs. Atlanta defeated the Washington Mystics in the first round, 2-0, followed by a 3-0 sweep of the New York Liberty in the semifinals.
The Valkyries, on the other hand, took out the Dallas Wings in the opening round. They ended the Las Vegas Aces’ title defense with a 3-0 semifinal sweep.
As the higher seed, the Valkyries will have home-court advantage in the WNBA Finals. Games 1 and 2 will be played in the Bay Area. Game 1 tips off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center. NBC/Peacock will broadcast the game nationwide.
