Angel Reese can’t seem to escape the ghosts of her past. The 24-year-old has led the Atlanta Dream to their first WNBA Finals since 2013, and in just a few days, they will take on the Golden State Valkyries with a chance to complete the job. However, two plays from Game 3 of Atlanta’s Semifinal series against the New York Liberty have resurfaced, giving Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham the “ick” and prompting her to call out what she considers Reese’s “dangerous” behavior on the court.

“Angel is going to play hard,” Cunningham said on the Oct. 15 episode of the “No Hesitation” podcast. “She is a player who goes after the ball. I appreciate that about players of her wanting to get on the floor and make the extra effort. Sometimes, people and the way they carry themselves and who they are, they don’t wanna get down and dirty like this; and she is, so I’m gonna give her credit there. But you can’t tackle someone in the air and then go for someone’s knees and ankles. That’s a dangerous play. Technically, both of those are a little dangerous. And for those just to go uncalled, is that not weird? Am I missing something?”

The first incident that Cunningham is referring to took place with less than two minutes left in the third quarter of the Oct. 9 Semifinals game. With the score tied at 62-62, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart drove toward Atlanta’s basket with Rhyne Howard defending her. As Stewart tried to make her way inside, officials called for a personal foul on Howard. However, as Cunningham’s co-host Drew Hanlen pointed out while reviewing the clip, Reese jumped toward Stewart in an attempt to block her after the whistle, ultimately knocking the Liberty star to the floor.

The second incident occurred later in the game, with 7:11 remaining on the clock and Atlanta trailing by one point. Officials had called a full timeout after a loose-ball scramble involving players from both teams. But Reese still dove to secure the loose ball, lunging toward a Liberty player’s legs, sending her crashing to the floor. The whistle had already stopped play, yet Reese continued to pursue the ball in a manner Sophie Cunningham viewed as over-the-top.

Both plays raised questions about the physicality involved, particularly because neither resulted in a technical or flagrant foul. So for Cunningham, who has been on the receiving end of such physical plays, there is a difference between playing with relentless energy and putting another player at risk.

“Even after the whistle, you can’t hit someone,” added Cunningham. “I know that she was going for the ball and she is trying to make hustle play. Atlanta is kicking a** right now. All 50-50 balls are pretty much Atlanta’s ball. So I’m giving them that work ethic and that grit and that dog. But I also hurt my knee by someone slamming into my knee, and so when I see people dive at people’s knee and ankles, that kind of gives me ick a little bit. I don’t like that. One of those has to be called.”

In Aug. 2025, Cunningham was ruled out of a game against the Connecticut Sun and the remainder of the season after Guard Bria Hartley fell and collided with the Fever star’s leg after driving to the basket. Cunningham had an MCL tear. Having experienced firsthand how quickly a physical play can turn into a season-ending injury, she understands the risks involved.

Angel Reese has built her game around the physicality and relentless effort she brings to the floor, but that approach comes with risks. She is averaging nearly four fouls per game in the playoffs, and with a championship on the line, the Dream will need their star forward to keep that aggression under control and stay out of foul trouble.

Reese has already picked up two technical fouls this postseason. If she reaches four, she will face an automatic one-game suspension, a setback Atlanta can hardly afford with the Finals ahead. The Dream will face a Golden State Valkyries team that enters the championship series with considerable momentum after sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the Semifinals. So with so much at stake, Reese’s ability to balance her trademark physicality with discipline could prove crucial to Atlanta’s title hopes.