Kyle Goon: Angel Reese is finally playing — and thriving — on a stage as big as she is

ATLANTA — On Wednesday morning at State Farm Arena, Angel Reese reclined in a courtside seat, legs crossed, eyes wary, her left foot tapping impatiently in her Barbie signature sneaker.

She saw two dozen media members — with recorders and TV cameras cocked — beginning to coalesce around her and reflexively sighed. “Y’all want me?” she asked.

Of course it was for her. It’s always for her.

The “who, me?” attitude vanished hours later in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals as Reese did what she does best. She muscled into the paint against overmatched Golden State forwards, at one point screaming “You can’t guard me!” as she loped back on defense.

Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs, to lead the Dream over the Valkyries 97-71 Wednesday night to give Atlanta a 2-1 series lead. On the postgame podium, she was practically vibrating with intensity as she described how she’s tried to evolve as a leader with the Dream.

“When you have a mentality, starting from me where I’m hyped all the time, and bringing the confidence to everybody, it’s like, ‘Y’all not taking this [game] from us,’” she said. “‘In my heart, I’m not letting you take this from us,’ and I think it becomes contagious within the team.”

Reese, who grew up in Baltimore County and played high school basketball at Saint Frances, is undoubtedly one of Atlanta’s most important players — indeed, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year may be its best player.

But the most significant thing she does for her team is to create defining moments. Her willpower can single-handedly turn the tide of games, even on the biggest stage of women’s pro basketball. Her performances in the Finals have only bolstered her claim as one of the W’s biggest stars.

On Wednesday, one of those moments came to cap an 8-0 Dream run that broke a deadlock. Reese dashed in transition, beating two Valkyries defenders to the basket, and slipped in a layup, forcing a Golden State timeout. As she stomped back to her bench, her nostrils flared and she flexed her arms. The hyped-up Atlanta crowd let rip one of its longest, loudest roars of the night.

In these instances, Reese’s mojo seems to be the lever on which the WNBA Finals sway.

Though she is just 24 and is younger than every one of Atlanta’s other four starters, they look to her in these moments. After Game 2, when Reese had 30 points and 16 rebounds, one broadcasting host asked Atlanta guard Allisha Gray what happened to counter the stretches when it looked as if Golden State was about to make a run.

Gray’s answer was simple: “Angel Reese.”

Reese is different from other WNBA stars in that her celebrity began to transcend sports culture even as she played at LSU, winning a national championship. She came into the league having played games of consequence. In her third season, it’s evident to even her vets that she’s built for the big stage.

“I think, being in this environment, she’s just been thriving, you know?” teammate Jordin Canada said. “She brings that fire, that competitiveness, that energy, that attitude, that grit that a lot of young players don’t really have to start out her career. But I feel like she’s always had that.”

If you don’t appreciate how big a star Reese is, nothing quite captures her power like the rapidly improving fortunes of the Dream since trading for her in April.

Though the Dream finished with the same regular-season record, 30-14, that they did last year, many more people are watching them. After they finished last in 2025 attendance, that figure shot up 54.7% this year, according to Sports Business Journal. The rapid rise helped convince the Dream and the WNBA to move Atlanta’s home games from the 3,500-seat Gateway Center to 17,000-seat State Farm Arena — which will become the team’s permanent home starting next season.

The Dream have also been a part of the growing television ratings in this series: Dream-Valkyries Game 1 drew 2.1 million viewers, the most in WNBA history — a dramatic rise from Finals games even in recent years with more established league stars and bigger markets.

In retrospect, it seems absurd that the Finals could have been held anywhere else. A procession of Atlanta rappers performed at each game break, highlighted by Quavo and Dem Franchize Boyz at halftime. Ludacris, Monica, Lil Baby and Kerry Washington were among the ATL celebrities courtside for the show.

Even in this star-studded constellation, Reese took center stage. But she was all too happy to share the spotlight.

That morning, fellow forward Naz Hillmon sat beside Reese during her shootaround media session. Reese asked the reporters: “Y’all got questions for Naz?”

Hillmon interjected: “Nah, they got questions for THE Angel Reese.”

Reese rolled her eyes but added, “Make sure y’all get her.”

In Game 3, Hillmon went off for 15 points, including 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc — by far her best performance not just of the series but of the playoff run. After one of Hillmon’s third-quarter buckets, Reese leapt off the bench to scream in celebration.

Hillmon insisted the rest of the team blossoms as Reese’s star shines.

“We had a little bit of a lull in the third quarter, and who was there getting stops, getting stops, in transition? It was Angel,” Hillmon said. “We definitely follow suit, but she definitely starts us off.”

This article has been updated.