The brutal perimeter defense and rim protection by the Golden State Valkyries in Game 4 of the Finals series against the Atlanta Dream had Angel Reese playing like she was back in her rookie year. She couldn’t play her usual game after dominating in Games 2 and 3, as the Valkyries showed the world why they were the top-rated regular-season defensive side. But one Hall of Famer thinks she might know what made Reese so uneasy.

After Game 4, sportscaster Maria Taylor sat down with Sue Bird, Tina Charles, and Cheryl Miller to discuss the 67-62 Dream loss on WNBA on NBC, which allowed the Valkyries to equalize the series and force Game 5. Miller, a bona fide NCAA and WNBA legend, broke down the game to show why Angel Reese, who has been fantastic in the first three games of the Finals series, was unable to even get to double digits in Game 4.

“Angel Reese at the halftime of Game 3, 15 points. Tonight, four points. I mean their defense, it may have been the same defense, but it was more physical and they made, and it’s just my honest opinion, they made Angel (Reese) uncomfortable. And I have yet to see someone make Angel uncomfortable.”

Angel Reese, who recently won the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award, has also been the Dream’s primary scoring engine across their playoff run this season. She leads the team in points (19.4), rebounds (10.3), and even blocks (1.8) in the current postseason. But in Game 4, the Valkyries shut her down completely.

Head coach Natalie Nakase gave three-time WNBA Champion Kiah Stokes the Angel Reese assignment, and the Valkyries’ defensive big spent all night making sure Reese had a tough time getting a clear look at the basket. Stokes relentless guarding left Reese with just eight points at the end of the night, shooting only 2-of-12 from the field. The Valkyries’ center even out-rebounded Reese, scoring a game-high 16 rebounds while Reese was held to only nine. Stokes defense has been impeccable in this Finals series, and her 14 blocks across the four Finals games have led to her breaking the record for the most blocks in a WNBA Finals series. 

This was the first game in this Finals series where Reese failed to score a double-double. In Game 1, despite a Valkyries win, Reese scored 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Game 2 saw her most dominant playoff performance, where Reese scored 30 points along with 16 rebounds. Angel Reese then followed this with another spectacle in Game 3, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for another double-double. 

But the pressure of the Valkyries’ defense seemed to be too much for Reese as Game 4 commenced. After the game, Angel Reese addressed her subpar performance in the postgame press conference. 

“I think it was me, I think I rushed a lot on my shots and I didn’t take my time and finish around the basket like I’ve been doing the last three games,” Reese said. “It happens and I’m just looking forward to the next game and just do it.”

Kiah Stokes, who was the main defensive anchor for the Valkyries, even noted that Reese was the leader of the Dream squad, while discussing her mindset when guarding the 24-year-old Dream forward. 

“She’s been the head of the snake all series, so for me it was just trying to make every look that she had in the basket difficult. It’s a tough job, but I think being our best defensive big, I got to own up to that challenge. Like I said, it was just trying to make her take the difficult shots.”

Stokes’ guarding caused Angel Reese to shoot a postseason low of 16.7 % from the field. And Cheryl Miller is right about never having seen Reese be pushed to this level before. It is surprising to think that this is the same Angel Reese who led the Dream to two sweeps of the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty to reach the final with a clean sheet. 

Valkyries fans will be celebrating this win, as this means the Golden State will return home for Game 5 with the momentum they need to close out the series. Games 5 and 6 will be held at Chase Center in front of the Valkyries’ home crowd, and Angel Reese will need to find her rhythm again if the Dream hopes to win its first WNBA championship.