ATLANTA ― Angel Reese is the thermometer of the WNBA Finals. If her temperature is high, good luck to anyone else on the other side. If you can’t match her energy, you’re cooked.
When Reese raises her level of intensity, few people can match her. She thrives on causing chaos for opposing teams, invading their proverbial nightmares one play at a time.
Dribble close to her if you dare. Go right at her if you’re bold. And if you happen to say anything in her direction, may the odds be ever in your favor. The battery in her back will never run out of charge after it’s activated.
"It's really hard to match Angel's energy, but we just try to do our part … just doing the little things to get into it. She brings a ton of energy. It's very infectious," Hillmon said Wednesday before Reese completely unleashed on the Golden State Valkyries to lead the Atlanta Dream in a 97-71 Game 3 victory.
"She brings her teammates with her, as (everyone) can see. So just continuing to beat into it and go along with what she's got going on."
Reese scored the first basket of the game and shortly after, the shots in State Farm Arena started falling like the WNBA All-Star ordered them freshly made. Moments later, the 24-year-old got an and-1 opportunity and appeared to say, "You’re not (expletive) with me!” Reese was in her element and comfortable at home in Atlanta.
She cashed two 3’s in the first half and on her second triple, she appeared to subtly break out a Bad Boys-inspired celebration that included her rotating and spinning with her arms out wide and hands in a 3-point celebration. Soon, Hillmon was also draining 3-balls. And Rhyne Howard, who has been struggling with her shot as of late, drained a deep 3-pointer. Howard let out a cathartic yell.
“It's me hyping myself up, but I want you scared of shit," Reese said during a postgame interview on the USA Network broadcast. "The goal is for you to be scared. I can look in your eyes and tell you dribble right to left, I'm taking the ball. And you saw that last game? It wasn't dribbling in front of me this game, so I really couldn't steal it. But (Howard), she came up big with her five steals. I think everybody contributed. We pay attention to a lot of personnel. Karl (Smesko) has us watching a lot of films. Shout out to Karl. So yeah, we're in the right place at the right time always."
The lead ballooned to 10 before Golden State seemed to wake up and join the party. Cecilia Zandalasini and Janelle Salaün answered the call with multiple three-pointers. Salaün had 11 points off the bench in the first half, her most all Finals. Tiffany Hayes, who has been stellar during the Finals, also nabbed a 3 as part of her 14 points.
Atlanta led 46-40 at halftime and withstood an early push from Golden State in the third. But by the end, five Dream players finished in double figures. Reese had 21 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Howard and Hillmon were not far behind with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Howard also had five steals. Isobel Borlase finished with 12 points and Jordin Canada had 10.
To be fair to the Dream, on Wednesday, they didn’t need Reese to play the way they did — connected. They had plenty of motivation playing in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 17,000 who were decked out in Atlanta blue with matching towels. Chants of "Let’s go, Dream” seemed to fuel them on every possession. Reese wasn’t on the floor late in the third when the lead ballooned again to nearly 15 points. Still, her teammates finished what she started, punishing Golden State in the paint, from the 3-point line, with shifty moves that would make anyone clutch their pearls at how filthy they were. As Atlanta pushed for its second win of the series, there was Reese cheering and clapping and refusing to sit as the Dream loosened the screws on the metaphorical cabinet holding its championship dreams.
Atlanta forced Golden State into its second straight game of double-digit turnovers (15) and by the time the early fourth quarter arrived, the team was pulling away with a lead as high as 20 points as it unleashed passes on a rope, backward and any other dimes it could concoct.
“Time to take over. Do whatever it takes to win," Reese said. "I said this game, I don't want to have to say, ‘Give me the ball.’ Everybody was just playing together. It's fun when you win and you play with a great group.
"This is a sisterhood."
The Valkyries appeared worn down and frustrated by Atlanta’s physicality. They had little answers as their opponent moved them out of the way on basket after basket. The tension of what Golden State was experiencing in Atlanta boiled over to head coach Natalie Nakase, who spent the pregame saying she didn’t like the “fight” her team put up in its 79-65 Game 2 loss.
Nakase lost her cool and received a tech after arguing a call with a referee. It was a small moment in the grand scheme of the game, but it loudly screamed that Golden State had been grinded down by the tenacity and relentlessness of Reese and the Dream. It also said that the Valkyries waited too late to find its footing against Atlanta, a stark contrast from the regular season when Golden State walked all over the Dream.
The Valkyries took the regular season series 3-0, but when the lights were the brightest, Atlanta answered the call. By the game’s end, an exasperated Gabby Williams barely walked down the floor as she watched the Dream run away with the game.
If Golden State expects to match Atlanta’s energy, it’s got to go back to the drawing board. The Valkyries have officially felt the Reese effect.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese turned up the heat. Atlanta Dream made Golden State burn | Opinion