Key Takeaways
- In a social media post, Angel Reese described losing Game 7 in the WNBA Finals as a lesson.
- She celebrated her first season with the Atlanta Dream, which also saw her win Defensive Player of the Year.
- The Golden State Valkyries rallied in Game 7 to win their first WNBA title.
The Atlanta Dream came incredibly close to securing their first-ever championship title over the weekend, but when the WNBA Finals came down to Game 7, the Golden State Valkyries ultimately emerged victorious. On Sunday (Nov. 1) night, after a heartbreaking 68-63 loss, Angel Reese told fans she’s “beyond proud” of everything the Dream achieved together and understands that one defeat doesn’t mean they won’t get another chance at glory.
“I’m so grateful and blessed. God, THANK YOU for allowing me to play another season full of health, love, passion, joy, community, and so much more,” the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year wrote on Instagram while looking back on her first season with Atlanta. “When I pray before every game, I thank God for ALL the highs and lows because I truly mean it.”
She continued, “I’m still numb from how it ended, but I realize not many get to experience this in just their third year in the league. I’m BEYOND PROUD and have absolutely NOTHING to hang my head about. Every loss is a lesson, and sometimes it’s not NO, just NOT YET. Delayed, not denied.” Reese went on to emphasize that she’s “hungry for more,” and given how close Atlanta came to winning it all, hopefully we’ll see them competing for another WNBA championship next season.
“Having a historic career year was special, but being surrounded by people who genuinely love and care about me meant even more,” the ATL Barbie added before thanking her fans and letting her teammates know how much she loves them. Keep scrolling for a closer look at what went down during Game 7 of the WNBA Finals.
How the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals
In case you missed it, the Dream went head-to-head with the Valkyries at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Saturday (Oct. 31). As she’s done countless times throughout her career, Reese led Atlanta on the boards with 12 rebounds, in addition to eight points and one assist. For Game 7, much of the scoring fell on Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada, who put up 16 and 18 points, respectively.
On the other hand, the Valkyries’ Gabby Williams dropped a whopping 30 points, helping Golden State become just the third franchise across the NBA, WNBA, and BAA to win a championship within its first two seasons, per ESPN. “Closing with 30, I mean, that's f**king incredible,” coach Natalie Nakase said after the game. For the most part, the Dream and Valkyries stayed relatively close in score until the third quarter, when Atlanta pulled ahead 37-28.
However, the Valkyries quickly fought their way back, thanks in large part to Williams. She scored eight consecutive points heading into the fourth quarter, giving Golden State a 45-44 lead. Watch a recap of the game below.
What’s next for Angel Reese after the 2026 WNBA Finals?
As for what’s next for Reese, we have no doubt she’ll continue collecting her coin off the court. In 2026 alone, she’s released several iterations of her signature Reebok sneaker, including a Reese’s-inspired colorway in October. That’s on top of already partnering with Barbie for her very own doll and fronting Victoria’s Secret’s The Season of Strapless campaign.
With Unrivaled scheduled to begin its third season in January 2027, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see Reese back on the basketball court in a couple of months.