Angel Reese has rarely been a player everyone agrees on. Ever since her infamous You Can’t See Me gesture and ring-finger taunt toward Caitlin Clark during their college rivalry, the Atlanta Dream star has found herself at the center of a debate that has followed her into the WNBA. Despite both players repeatedly denying any bad blood, Reese’s polarizing image has made her a target for critics just as much as she has become a favorite among her supporters.
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So with the 24-year-old preparing for the biggest stage of her professional career, four-time NBA champion Draymond Green believes even those hoping to see her fail will be tuning in. And with ticket prices for the 2026 WNBA Finals soaring, that kind of attention surrounding the Dream forward adds another layer to a matchup that already has plenty at stake.
“Angel is gonna have people watching this because there’s a large consortium of people who want to see her succeed,” Green said on the October 16 episode of his The Draymond Green Show. “There’s an even larger group of people who want to see her fail, and they’re gonna watch to see her fail, which is great. Great. Come on. Come watch for the league. It’s great. But they’re going to watch because they want to see her fail. So, I think that also brings something to this matchup.”
The attention surrounding Angel Reese comes as the Dream and Valkyries prepare for a Finals series that is already commanding a hefty price tag. According to Front Office Sports, the cheapest tickets for Game 1 at San Francisco’s Chase Center were listed at $214 as of Thursday, October 15. That is a steep jump from last year’s Finals opener between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, when the cheapest ticket ended at just $34. With resale prices running well above previous years, the series could even become the most expensive WNBA Finals on record.
But the demand has extended beyond ticket prices. During the presale for Games 3 and 4, approximately 42,000 people were reportedly in the queue as Atlanta moved their games from Gateway Center Arena, which holds around 3,500 fans, to State Farm Arena, with a capacity of more than 17,000.
Reese’s growing profile is one part of the appeal, but the Valkyries have helped fuel the excitement as well. Golden State has sold out every home game across its first two seasons, and its rapid rise to a first Finals appearance has given fans another reason to buy in. Together, the two teams have created a matchup with both a compelling championship race and plenty of attention surrounding it.
As Green pointed out, that attention will not all come from people rooting for Reese. Some will be watching to see her succeed, while others may be hoping she falls short. Either way, she enters the Finals with an opportunity to turn that scrutiny into something meaningful on the court.
Can Angel Reese and the Dream Finish Their Unbeaten Run?
Game 1 is set to tip off in less than 24 hours, and Atlanta will have to navigate two opening road games at Chase Center before the series moves to Georgia. The Dream have yet to lose in the playoffs, sweeping both the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. Golden State has been just as convincing, sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to reach the Finals.
Atlanta finished the regular season 30-14, while the Valkyries went 32-12 to secure the league’s second-best record. The Dream’s defensive pressure has been central to their postseason success, with 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese anchoring the paint and Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Allisha Gray creating problems on the perimeter. Atlanta has also averaged 92.6 points per game in the playoffs, the highest mark among postseason teams.
Golden State, however, has the depth to challenge that balance. Its bench averaged 35.9 points per game during the regular season, giving the Valkyries another source of offense against Atlanta’s defense. They also won all three regular-season meetings between the teams, offering a reminder that the Dream’s unbeaten playoff run will face a serious test.
For Angel Reese, the Finals are about more than answering her critics. They are a chance to help Atlanta secure its first championship while competing under the brightest spotlight of her career. Whether viewers tune in to cheer her on or see if she falters, the attention Green described is already there. What Reese does with it over the next few games will be the real story.