Angel Reese spent almost a full minute complaining about the refs after going down to the Valkyries for the second game in a row. That's immaturity showing itself at the wrong time, and it can have real consequences. The Dream are one loss from beginning their offseason with disappointment, and their fearless leader may have just guaranteed the series ends with Game 6 in Atlanta.
"So, when I do switch on the post and I'm a lot stronger than the opponent, I should be able to turn, and they're calling offensive foul, but I'm getting pushed before that. So that is frustrating for sure." - Angel Reese
The right thing to do would have been to decline talking about it. You can't let the referees affect your level of focus. The moment you do, it's a wrap. Players can't control how the whistle blows; they can only control their effort, poise, and grit.
Nobody in Golden State is begging for the whistle
If we could give this series a nickname, it'd be something physicality-focused or war-related. These women have been pushing and pulling each other all series long, and it's happened on both sides. If anyone has a reason to complain about the officiating, it's a Golden State team that's shot FIFTY-TWO fewer free throws than Atlanta through five games.
The Valkyries have been called for 12 more fouls overall than the Dream have, and not once did we hear them direct their frustrations at the refs in a postgame presser or pregame scrum. In fact, they did the exact opposite. After tying the series at 2-2 in Atlanta—in a game four that saw ATL shoot 31 FT to GS's 13—Natalie Nakase's ball club took a different tone when discussing the refs.
"We stopped letting the officiating dictate the game. Last game, we were very soft, like we were expecting a foul call." - Gabby Williams
Stokes echoed a similar message, suggesting the Valkyries are truly on the same page about what's required to cross the finish line.
“The physicality is the Finals. We don’t know what the refs are going to call. Like it could be against us or [for] us. But we got to make sure we just bring physicality and make it one through five." - Kiah Stokes
This approach is about dedication to controlling what you can control without any excuses. That's the attitude you need to win a championship, and it's lacking for Atlanta right now. Their bigger issue is getting strapped on offense. They've boarded Valkyrie Airlines, and the seatbelt sign is on.
Atlanta’s shooting is the problem no whistle can fix
The Dream shot 33.3% from the field and 17.4% from three in Game 4. Game 5's 29.2% FG and 23.1% 3PT weren't any better. Across the two games, that's 31.1% and 20.4% from deep. You're supposed to lose games with horrendous efficiency like that, and look no further than the Stokes-Reese matchup.
Angel has been blocked 11 times in this series, and eight were by Kiah. The 10-year veteran has 17 blocks in this series, completely controlling the paint and changing more shots than she blocks. Stokes has given Reese hell in the last two meetings. Those efforts don't always show up on the stat sheet for her, but it sure shows up in ATL's efficiency numbers.
Game 6 is Thursday in Atlanta at 11:30 a.m. Central. Nothing is set in stone, so technically the Dream can force this thing back to Ballhalla. But not with the victim mindset leading them onto the court against a team determined to control the outcome on their own terms. They have two days to fix that or get ready to be sent on vacation.
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