Angel Reese’s “too small” taunt was meant to show how much control the Atlanta Dream had in the WNBA Finals. Instead, it came back to bite her, and the Warriors’ outspoken rookie made sure she remembered it.
In Game 3, with the Dream up 94-69 over the Golden State Valkyries and about 30 seconds left, Reese yelled “You a bum!” at Valkyries rookie Aminata Gueye from the bench. Then she made the “too small” gesture, pinching her fingers together to mock her.
The Dream went up 2-1 in the series that night. But the Valkyries won three of the next four games, including a 68-63 win in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, to win the title in just their second season.
Yaxel Landeborg was courtside, and the Warriors rookie was there with Draymond Green for Game 7. During the game, he gave Reese her own gesture back, pinching his fingers together as he watched. A photo of the moment quickly spread on X.
He wasn’t the only one. After the win, Gueye posted a photo of Reese’s hand mid-gesture on Instagram, and Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes did the “too small” taunt on an Instagram Live from the locker room.
The fans also joined and had fun with it.
“Is this real? My respect for Yax just went up if it is,” one fan wrote. Another went even further: “Seriously yaxel my favorite player now because he humbled angel reese.”
One fan shared both moments side by side, writing, “Angel Reese gave the too small signal to the Valkyries after blowing them out in game 3. Yaxel Lendeborg returned the favor after the Valkyries won the WNBA Finals in game 7.”
This isn’t the first time Lendeborg has called someone out. After the Warriors lost 127-105 to the Lakers on opening night, he said he had “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic because of how much Doncic complains to the refs. He’s only a few games into his career, and he’s already known for giving it back.
“I love Yaxel man.. He’s got zero filter and its so funny to watch,” one fan wrote.
That being said, Angel Reese has a reputation of her own. She’s clashed with players and officials alike, once slapping a clipboard out of one of her team’s staffers when she was with the Chicago Sky. She also stood over Stephanie Talbot, taunting her, after the latter fell to the ground in 2026.
One fan pointed out just that. “Angel Reese built her whole brand off talking trash, but now that she’s the punchline everybody suddenly cares about sportsmanship. Yaxel just giving her the same energy back,” the fan wrote, arguing against Reese’s fans defending her online.
Yet another fan believed that Yaxel Lendeborg mocking Reese may start a trend, one that may be costly for the Dream and its star player. “Oh I think everyone is gonna roast her now with that sign in every arena she plays! To remind her in the biggest game of her life she came up SMALL.”
The observation is interesting. The Dream forced game 7 after being one loss away from coming up short for the trophy. In the final game, the one that mattered most, Angel Reese played for 33 minutes and scored only 8 points.
Turnovers hurt her all series. Reese averaged roughly 3.9 turnovers per game during the finals, with the total reaching 27. In each of the last four games, she had more turnovers than made shots.
That being said, not everyone was happy with Yaxel Lendeborg’s gesture, mocking the WNBA player. Some believed he was a bit too young or new to the league to be a loud and confrontational personality.
“This is bros first season why is he acting like a main character? Be humble buddy. Didnt you learn your lesson just about yesterday?” one fan wrote, pointing at Lendeborg’s most recent performance which wasn’t drastically different from Reese’s in terms of sheer scoring.
In his recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Yaxel Lendeborg only scored six points, one rebound, and zero assists. The game was underwhelming given his and Luka Doncic’s brewing rivalry, and Lendeborg’s foul trouble was most evident.
The player fouled out and had five turnovers after spending only 24 minutes on the floor. Therefore, the stats and turnover rate between him and Reese’s last game is surprisingly similar.
“Yaxel Lendeborg did all that to show up and drop 6 points,” one fan wrote after the game.
Yet one fan noted that they’ve been impressed with Yaxel Lendeborg’s mentality until recently. The fan feared that the rookie might not be able to back up all the talk. “
I liked the chip on his shoulder mentality at first, right now I think it’s been getting way too outta hand. The man has ZERO filter. He isn’t media trained in the slightest. And he needs to be careful, don’t wanna become one of those guys who talks big game and cant back it up.”
To be fair to the rookie, he has started the season strong. He’s averaging 19.8 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds, making him one of the best rookies in the league so far.
With the Valkyries’ title secured, the focus now shifts to the Warriors, who are 3-3 heading into Sunday’s game against the Clippers. Lendeborg has shown he isn’t afraid to talk. Now he has to back it up.