Angel Reese trash talk went to another level in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, when she told Aminata Gueye, “You can [expletive] with me… Bum ass,” and then blocked her shot on the other end.
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She did not wait for a response. She did not argue with the officials. She walked back down the floor and sent Gueye’s shot away. Cold.
The moment came two days after one of the roughest nights of Reese’s postseason. The Atlanta Dream led for most of Game 1 against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center and still lost. Reese scored 14 points in the first half and none in the second, attempting just three shots after halftime. She finished with 12 rebounds, two steals and a block, but she also picked up five fouls and four turnovers. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase credited Laeticia Amihere for slowing Reese down after the break.
Reese put that on herself after the game. “I don’t think they really did anything. Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and get to my spot. So I’m definitely going to do a better job of that next game,” she said.
She came into Game 2 with that energy from the jump, starting with the outfit. Reese walked into Chase Center in an all black dress, white kitten heels and a white Gucci horsebit bag. Then she let Gueye know exactly where she stood.
Nobody who follows the league is surprised by the Angel Reese trash talk. During Team USA’s FIBA World Cup run in Berlin this fall, her teammates named her the biggest trash talker on the squad, and Paige Bueckers answered the question with “Angel Reese, Angel Reese, Angel Reese.” A Casino.org survey in September found Reese is also the player fans trash talk the most.
Reese has said for years that what she says on the court stays there. “When I get between those lines, we’re not friends. We’re not buddies,” she said back in college. “I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it.”
The Dream came into the night down 1 to 0 in the series, with Games 3 and 4 headed to Atlanta. Both franchises are chasing their first WNBA title.
