After Atlanta’s 68-63 loss to Golden State in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on October 31, Angel Reese said her teammates “changed my life.” Sitting beside Jordin Canada and Allisha Gray at the postgame press conference, she said she’d do the season over with the same group.
Her first WNBA Finals ended with Reese describing Atlanta as the most enjoyable and competitive team she’d played on. She credited her teammates’ selflessness with helping her grow as a young player who speaks her mind. They’d wanted to win for each other and for the fans who’d invested in them.
Coach Karl Smesko’s confidence in Reese held through the loss. Asked about choosing her for a Game 7, he said, “I know I would.”
Shortly before the season, Reese had asked Smesko to help rebuild her jump shot. Before the deciding game, he was still watching her warmups, and their handshake included a shooting follow-through.
Reese said she was looking forward to another year playing for Smesko and to Brionna Jones’s return.