Angel Reese had a defiant message after Dream's Game 5 loss to the Valkyries

There is no quit in Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese. 

Despite the Dream being down 3-2 in the 2026 WNBA Finals to the Golden State Valkyries, the Atlanta star forward doesn’t doubt her team’s ability to overcome an unenviable situation.

“Obviously, the best two teams are here for a reason, and defense wins championships,” Reese told the media after Atlanta’s 64-55 loss to the Valkyries in Game 5 of the series on Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 

“So, it’s about who is going to be tougher. It’s about who’s going to get down and guard. Who’s gonna maximize possession, but also who’s going to make shots. Obviously, we’ve struggled making shots.”

The former LSU Tigers star struggled with her shot against Golden State’s tight defense in Game 5, scoring only seven points on 2/8 shooting, but she grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out five assists.

To force a Game 7, Reese knows she needs to keep her faith in the Dream, who have lost the last two games.

“I still believe in our team. I still believe we can win this. One game at a time. Going back home, Game 6. We’re gonna hit our shots at the right time,” Reese continued.

“The process sometimes is a little bit harder. You want to go through hard stuff to get what you want in life. We’re just going to take it one game at a time.”