Angel Reese’s viral moments of frustration with her teammates have already sparked plenty of debate about her body language and star conduct on the biggest stage. But for Sophie Cunningham, there’s a different side to the viral moment, arguing that while Reese could’ve handled the situation a bit better, her actions were exactly what Atlanta needed.

“One, you could probably clip almost everybody in the WNBA, in the NBA, that has clips like this,” Cunningham said in the latest episode of her No Hesitation podcast.

“Number two, do I like the body language? Do I think that it could have been better? Absolutely. And I think if she watches this back, I think she could have said the same thing. But three, sometimes you gotta do it. If your team’s not getting you the damn ball, then if you see one of your star players getting frustrated and getting pis–ed off, then it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re not messing around. We need to get her the da-n ball.’ I think the coaching staff saw it; I think everyone on the bench saw it; her teammates felt the energy; and she did what she needed to do in order to put yet another game on her back.”

The incident Cunningham is referring to took place in Game 2 of the Finals. Reese and the Atlanta Dream entered the series already down 1-0 after falling to the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1, and were looking for a way to bounce back.

In the third quarter, with about 7:08 left on the clock, Reese was fighting for post positioning against Kayla Thornton, calling for the ball. With Naz Hillmon holding the rock at the three-point line, Reese kept waving at her, but instead, the ball went to Allisha Gray, who caught it before shooting a three.

While this happened, Reese’s body language was difficult to miss. She stomped her feet and threw her hands down, moving out of the paint and walking away from the play unfolding for the rest of the team. This was a message, and her team got the memo as soon as the very next possession.

Reese drove the ball hard for a layup, playing with intensity, and kept it up the rest of the game. Later in the third, after beating both Katilyn Chen and Kiah Stokes to finish at the cup, she was fired up, walking back to the Dream bench while broadcasters quickly caught her words.

“Give me the f****** ball!” she supposedly said.

Reese finished that game with perhaps her best stat line of the postseason. She logged 30 points and 16 rebounds while going 10-for-16 from the field and 9-for-11 from the charity stripe, establishing herself in the paint. She continued her dominant play in Game 3, leading the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds to take a commanding 2-1 lead for the series.

Her play has been noticed all over the league, including by those closest to her. One of those people is Dream head coach Karl Smesko, who praised Reese for stepping up when it matters most and continuing to grow as a player as the season has continued.

“She very well might be the most improved player from the beginning of the season to right now,” Smesko said.

“She’s taken it very seriously. I give Angel a lot of credit. She was a great player when we traded for her. … She has been very motivated to become the best basketball player that she can possibly become, and you can see the results of that hard work.”

Now, with Game 4 quickly approaching, only time will tell how Reese and her compatriots will respond to the Valkyries’ attempt to bounce back. What is left to be seen, though, is whether Reese will continue her expressive body language, or if her communication to Atlanta will prevent that from surfacing.