Angel Reese is not letting a Game 7 loss define her season. The Atlanta Dream fell to the Golden State Valkyries 68 to 63 on Saturday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, losing the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, and Reese made it clear after the game that she plans to be back.
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“It is tough in the moment, but we’ll be back,” Reese told reporters. “And I always say, ‘Delayed, not denied.'”
Atlanta had this one in its hands. The Dream took a nine point lead into the second half, but the Valkyries clawed their way back and closed it out late. Gabby Williams carried Golden State with 30 points and was named Finals MVP, giving the Valkyries a championship in just their second season in the league.
Reese had a tough shooting night in Game 7, finishing with 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting, along with 12 rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist. Across the seven games, she averaged 14.9 points and 12.1 rebounds, and she finished the series with five double doubles.
When she spoke after the game, she put the focus on her teammates.
“It’s tough. Especially with a good group, a great group, that I’ve honestly had the honor to battle with all year,” she said. “They changed my life, and I’m so grateful for them. And I’m so thankful for them.”
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She also reminded everyone how early she is in her career. “This is only year three,” Reese said, adding that her teammates have plenty of years ahead of them too. “I’m just really grateful I got to go to war with this group. I would do it again, all over again.”
That gratitude makes sense when you look at where her year started. The Chicago Sky traded Reese after two seasons, and plenty of critics were loud about it. In her first season in Atlanta, she was named 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Dream to within one win of a title.
Just two days before Game 7, Reese was the one hyping up the team. After the Dream beat the Valkyries 80 to 69 in Game 6 to force a deciding game, she said Atlanta had its “swagger back.” This time the swagger was not enough, but at 24 years old, Angel Reese is already talking about the next run.
