The Golden State Valkyries have every reason to feel confident heading into the WNBA Finals. They swept the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in the semifinals, and their 3-0 regular-season record against the Atlanta Dream gives them another reason to believe they can finish the job. But head coach Natalie Nakase knows that past results will mean little against an opponent led by Angel Reese, one of the league’s most relentless competitors.

“She’s an ultimate ultra competitor,” Nakase said, according to a post by The Athletic on X. “To me, when we were at USA, you heard her voice constantly. So when she didn’t start, you heard her. She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed to. She constantly called them out when we needed energy. So, understanding, she’s a huge reason why I think that team is in the finals, Atlanta, because she brings this competitive edge, and she’s not going to let any possession slip.”

Natalie Nakase and Angel Reese recently worked together as part of the 2026 USA Women’s Basketball National Team at the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, where the Americans won their fifth consecutive gold by defeating France 97-79 in the final. Nakase served as an assistant coach, which gave her a firsthand look at how Reese consistently lifts her teammates and brings the energy her team needs.

Reese, making her senior national team competitive debut at the tournament, made an impact across the board. She led the Americans in field goal percentage at 59.1% and blocks with 0.8 per game, while her five rebounds per game tied Napheesa Collier for second on the team. Reese also averaged 7.2 points per game as the U.S. went on to capture gold.

But the 24-year-old now stands in the way of the Valkyries’ push for a WNBA championship, as her first season in Atlanta has helped the Dream to believe they can finish the job as well.

Since being traded from the Chicago Sky, she claimed the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award after ranking third in the league in steals at 1.8 per game and leading all players with 12.1 rebounds per game. Her presence on the glass and ability to disrupt opponents helped Atlanta finish third in defensive rating (103.5) while allowing a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.

That kind of defensive presence even caught the attention of WNBA legend Tina Charles, who made it clear that Reese is the kind of player a team needs when the stakes are highest.

“She is just fearless, and that’s exactly what you want, especially from your inside presence. That’s exactly what you want, someone who’s gonna impose their will, who’s gonna just keep coming at you. It doesn’t even matter if she’s scoring the basketball or not — you’re gonna feel her. And it’s just a snowball effect to everybody else,” Charles said during her recent appearance on WNBA on NBC.

The Dream reached the WNBA Finals for the first time in 13 years after sweeping the New York Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals as they made Reese’s 2025 manifestation come true.

“Manifesting the finals>>>,” she wrote on X last year.

Still, respecting a player is one thing; letting Atlanta take it all is another. Natalie Nakase and the Valkyries have built a formidable team of their own in just their second season in the WNBA, turning the foundation laid during their inaugural campaign into a serious championship contender.

With a league-high nine players returning and free-agent additions Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes joining the mix, Golden State has won 32 regular-season games as the Valkyries also set a WNBA record for bench scoring and fielded one of the league’s strongest defenses.

Both teams will be chasing their first WNBA championship, with the Finals opener set to take place on Oct. 17.