Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko stood firmly behind star Angel Reese on Monday night, criticizing officials for missing what he called a "ridiculous" amount of contact in the team's 64-55 loss to the Golden State Valkyries in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. The defeat put Atlanta in a 3-2 series hole.
Reese finished with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and went 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Smesko said he gave the Valkyries credit for their defense, but added, "The contact on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. Just ridiculous." He also pointed to missed double dribbles and travel calls against Golden State, saying, "You can't be at this level and make that many mistakes."
Reese echoed the frustration, saying physical play and questionable officiating have been a recurring theme this year. "I am still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality," said Reese, who was also called for four personal fouls. She said it was especially frustrating when her teammates were knocked to the floor, and she felt a clear shift in officiating after Atlanta went up 2-1 in the series. "It definitely took a big turn," she said.
The game was historically poor offensively. The Valkyries' 64 points were the fewest in a Finals win since 2005, and the Dream's 55 were the fewest in a Finals game since 2021. Atlanta shot just 29.2% from the field. Smesko acknowledged his team missed makable shots but said, "It you push someone with two hands, that's got to be a foul." Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said the physicality was expected, noting that both teams are defensive-minded and want to win.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing