Angel Reese made Finals history in Game 6 after scoring her fourth double-double of the series. Before the game, the Atlanta Dream forward had “no doubt” her team would bounce back, and that’s what they did. Yet, that historic performance from Reese in the Dream’s 80-69 win wasn’t enough for a former Philadelphia Eagles player who believes Reese has more work to do.

After the Dream tied the championship series 3-3, Acho sat down with his co-host to dissect the game on the Speakeasy podcast. During their discussion, Acho argued that Reese isn’t the clear favorite in his eyes because of Rhyne Howard’s impact.

“Let’s really talk ball for a moment… I can’t still suggest that Angel would be the runaway Finals MVP…” Acho said on the latest episode. “Because of what Ryan Howard has done, even in defeat, and even what she did today, I feel like I can’t say it’s runaway [for Reese].”

For context, Angel Reese has been making WNBA Finals history throughout this series. In Game 2, she became the youngest WNBA player in history to drop 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA Finals game. In Game 6, she surpassed legend Sylvia Fowles’ all-time record of 75 rebounds in a Finals series after dropping 15 points and 14 rebounds.

However, box scores don’t always tell the whole story, and that’s where Acho believes Rhyne Howard makes a strong case.

“If you look at Angel’s efficiency the last three games, it’s atrocious. I think she shot less than 33% today… she went 5-of-18. She had more turnovers,” added Acho.

Reese, despite achieving record rebound numbers and four double-doubles in six games, hasn’t been the best shooter on the floor in the last three games. She scored just 16.7% of her field goals in Game 4, followed by 25% in Game 5 and 27.8% in Game 6.

Meanwhile, Howard has been a consistent scorer even during the Game 4 and 5 losses, scoring 42.9% (Game 4), 46.7% (Game 5), and 54.5% (Game 6). She also scored 19 points in Game 4, followed by a 20-point performance, while Reese struggled, scoring 7 and 8 points, respectively.

The final stat that’s working against the 24-year-old is her turnovers. In fact, Reese has more individual turnovers than any other player in this WNBA Finals series with 23.

When a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters vote to select the Finals MVP, they don’t just look at records. On-court performance, overall impact, and critical contributions are all taken into account.

In Acho’s eyes, Reese needs another historic performance in Game 7 before truly separating herself from the rest of the contenders. Yet when it comes to contenders, the Valkyries have thier own players in the mix.

The Valkyries stars in Finals MVP race

Gabby Williams was one of the favorites to win the Finals MVP alongside Angel Reese when the series began, and through the six games, Williams has consistently delivered in almost every game except Game 5, where she scored in single digits (9 points).

While Williams has also struggled from the three-point range, she has been a game changer for the Valkyries from the free-throw line. It was Williams’ 87.5% accuracy in Game 1, where she made 7 of 8 free throws, going 6-for-6 over the final 2:15 minutes, that gave the Valkyries their 68-64 win.

Williams also scored the most points of any Valkyries player in the series in their losing effort in Game 6, scoring 26 points, three rebounds, and three steals. The 2026 FIBA World Cup’s Best Defensive Player award winner has also kept her turnover rate in check. So, in terms of impact, Williams has been elite.

Her teammate Kiah Stokes is another Valkyries name in the running. While Stokes has averaged 3.9 points throughout the series so far, it’s her defense and blocks that have made her a key piece for Golden State.

Stokes racked up four blocks in each of the first two games, followed by three blocks per game in the following three games. What’s even more important is that Stokes has used her defensive skills to shut down none other than Angel Reese in Games 4 and 5.

In fact, one of the reasons the Dream found success in Game 6 was because of an uncharacteristically poor performance from Stokes, who struggled to stop Reese as she has done in the last two games.

So, with one decisive game remaining in the series, all the contenders have one last opportunity to become the difference maker. Whoever that player turns out to be may very well become the Finals MVP.

Game 7 tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT) on Saturday, October 31.