The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are less than 24 hours away from an all-or-nothing showdown. With the WNBA Finals tied 3-3, both teams will take the floor in Ballhalla one final time, hoping to secure their first championship in their respective franchise histories. But before Atlanta takes the court for the biggest game of its season, WNBA broadcaster Ryan Ruocco has raised a concern about Angel Reese’s teammate, Rhyne Howard, and her tendency to disappear offensively when the team needs her to take charge.

During his October 28 appearance on the Girls Trip podcast, Ruocco questioned Howard’s aggression and explained why Atlanta needs more from its star guard if it hopes to get past Golden State.

“The issue with Rhyne (Howard) throughout the years has been, at times, she lacks aggression. At times, you just want her to go get it more,” Rucco said. “I think in this series, where points are nearly impossible to come by, she’s going to have to be comfortable maybe taking 20-22 shots. Yesterday, she was 7 of 15. Ball looked good coming out of her hands every time. She can score at all three levels.”

“Jordin Canada has not been the offensive player in the finals that she was in the semis and in the first round… But I look at Rhyne, and I’m like, ‘All right, can you do what you did in game five, but with a different level of aggression?’ Because I think your team is going to need that here in game six and game seven if they’re going to have a chance to win,” he further added.

Ruocco’s concern wasn’t necessarily about Howard’s scoring ability. The broadcaster acknowledged that she can create offense from all three levels, but wanted to see her take greater responsibility rather than wait for opportunities to come her way. In Game 1, Howard managed just 3 of 14 shooting in 38 minutes, while she went 2 of 7 in Game 2 and attempted only 11 field goals in Game 3. For a player capable of taking over offensively, those numbers left room for more involvement.

Game 4 and Game 5, however, offered a glimpse of what Ruocco wanted to see. On October 24, Howard finished with 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, where she made 42.9% of her shots. Then, on October 26, she scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, converting 46.7% of her attempts. In both of those games, even though Atlanta couldn’t get the win, her shots looked comfortable, and she showed that she could produce against Golden State’s defense. And that’s exactly what Atlanta needed even more of, particularly with the Valkyries making it difficult for Angel Reese to find room in the paint.

However, it is worth noting that Ruocco made those comments before Game 6, and Howard responded when Atlanta had no margin for error. Facing elimination on October 29, the 26-year-old guard stepped up with 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers on six attempts. She also converted all five of her free throws, helping the Dream secure the victory and force a decisive Game 7.

But then there is another area of concern – Jordin Canada’s reduced offensive production. And that concern has continued into the Finals. Canada was a major contributor during Atlanta’s first two playoff rounds, averaging 19.2 points per game across the first round and semifinals. However, that same scoring impact has been harder to find against Golden State. She is averaging just 10.5 points per game in the Finals while shooting 32.3% from the field. So with everything on the line in Game 7, Atlanta will need more from her as well.

This is the first time since 2013 that the Dream have reached the WNBA Finals, and the franchise is now just one win away from a championship it has never won. Howard has already answered one of Ruocco’s biggest concerns with her Game 6 performance. The question now is whether she and Canada can deliver one more time when the entire season comes down to a single game.

Their contributions will be especially important for Reese, who has been one of Atlanta’s biggest forces throughout the Finals but cannot be expected to carry the entire team on her own.

Every Dream Player Must Show Up, Including Angel Reese, as Atlanta Faces Valkyries in Game 7

Angel Reese has played a major role in all three of the Atlanta Dream’s victories in the Finals. Her performances in Games 2 and 3, in particular, showed just how difficult she can be for Golden State to contain. However, the Dream need the rest of their roster to step up alongside her.

Reese set the tone in Game 2 with a dominant 30-point, 16-rebound performance, shooting 10-of-16 from the field to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 win. She followed that up with another double-double in Game 3, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field. Her efforts helped the Dream take control of the series and put them in position to move closer to their first championship.

At that point, containing Angel Reese became a major part of Golden State’s defensive approach. The Valkyries managed to do exactly that in Games 4 and 5, limiting her impact as Atlanta suffered two of its most disappointing losses of the season. In those games, the bigger problem was that the rest of the Dream struggled to make up for it. With little offensive support around Reese, Atlanta found itself on the brink of elimination.

But that changed in Game 6. Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard stepped up offensively, giving Golden State’s defense more players to worry about. With the Valkyries unable to focus solely on Reese, Atlanta found its rhythm and controlled the game on its way to an 80-69 victory. Reese finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and this time, she did not have to carry the entire offensive burden.

Now, the Dream have one final opportunity to win the championship. Golden State will enter Game 7 knowing it cannot afford to give Angel Reese another big night, but Atlanta will need more than her usual production to overcome the Valkyries on their home floor. Gray, Howard, Jordin Canada, and the rest of the roster must deliver, too, while bringing in the ‘punch first’ mentality.

“I’m just really proud of this group, the punch first that we emphasized,” Angel Reese said in the postgame media availability. “If we can punch first, we’ve won every single game.”

The Dream will have a real chance to turn their historic run into a championship on Saturday. But it will take a complete team effort, with every player ready to give it their all.