The Atlanta Dream are running out of room for mistakes in the WNBA Finals, and head coach Karl Smesko believes it’s due to factors beyond the Atlanta Dream’s control. After the Golden State Valkyries took Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the series, Smesko came out to publicly question whether Angel Reese was getting the right consideration as others when it came to contact.

“I give [Golden State] credit for playing good defense,” Smesko said in the press conference.

“The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. It’s just ridiculous. And we should have gone to the foul line six to eight more times just on that. And then to miss double dribbles and travels, multiple, that always led to points. You can’t be at this level and make that many mistakes. There’s things that are on us. We’re missing shots we should make. But at the same time, that needs to be a whole lot better than it was. And it’s time that if you push somebody with two hands as they drive, it’s gotta be a foul. And I’m tired of some of the excuses that I’m hearing.”

Reese was not effective as a scorer in Game 5, going 2-for-8 from the field while shooting four free-throw attempts for seven total points. The Dream shot 11-for-14 from the free-throw line, one less attempt and one more make (10 against the Valkyries’ 11) than the Valkyries, but it’s clear that Smesko believes that his team should’ve gotten more calls.

For reference, the Dream averaged 29 free throws per game over the first four games, especially due to their dominant interior presence, with Reese averaging 7.25 free throws per game. The 14 free throws they attempted in Game 5 is the lowest of any postseason game the team has played in 2026.

Reese herself was not happy with the lack of calls either, calling out refs in the same press conference as her head coach.

“I know I have the mismatch, especially we were talking about matchups,” Reese said.

“So when I do switch on the post and I’m a lot stronger than the opponent, I should be able to turn and they’re calling an offensive foul, but I’m getting pushed before that. So that is frustrating for sure… It definitely shifted when we went up 2-1, and things shifted. I don’t know what happened, but it definitely took a big turn.”

Of the four personal fouls that Reese accrued over the course of the game, three were deemed offensive fouls, leading to her three turnovers for the night.

It’s just the second time she has been held to single-digit scoring in consecutive games, with the first coming in her rookie season.

Intriguingly, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase doesn’t agree, arguing that this level of physicality is expected in the Finals.

“Both teams really want to win this,” Nakase said. “These are two defensive-minded teams … they like physicality, so that’s part of it. I ain’t shocked about this. You have an Atlanta Dream team that’s well-coached, that have dogs, same as us.”

For now, the series is set to head back to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena as the Dream tries to keep their season alive. Only time will tell if we will watch a Game 7 back in Chase Center, or if the Golden State Valkyries will lift the championship at the Dream’s expense. What is clear is that things will likely not go Atlanta’s way if this kind of officiating continues.