Angel Reese loses cool with Sabrina Ionescu in unpleasant confrontation before leading Atlanta Dream to WNBA Finals
Incident came during a clash between the Dream and New York Liberty in the semifinals
Angel Reese was at the center of a heated exchange with Sabrina Ionescu during Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals, but the Atlanta Dream star had the last word on the court by eliminating the New York Liberty and secure a place in the Finals.
The incident unfolded in the second quarter when Ionescu attempted to set a forceful screen on Atlanta guard Isabel Borlase , and officials penalized Ionescu for shoving the Dream player, prompting Reese to cross the court and confront the Liberty guard.
“Don't do that, don't do that,” Reese shouted as she approached Ionescu as Rhyne Howard stepped between them to prevent the disagreement from escalating, although Ionescu pushed Howard's hand away.
Additional players became involved before the confrontation ended without further incident as the exchange added tension to an elimination game in which New York needed a victory to extend its season.
Instead, the Dream held on for an 85-83 win, completing a sweep and booking its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013 and Reese celebrated with her teammates after arriving in Atlanta following a trade from the Chicago Sky .
The star finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three assists to lead the Dream whilst Howard contributed 21 points and Jordin Canada added 19 to set up a clash with the Golden State Valkyries . The Finals are scheduled to begin October 17.
Reese learns WNBA Finals opponent
Atlanta 's next challenge will come against the Valkyries , who completed a 3-0 semifinal sweep of the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces with an 87-77 overtime victory on Friday.
Golden State 's achievement is particularly striking given that the franchise only began playing in 2025 as the Valkyries won 23 games in their inaugural campaign, setting an expansion-team record by becoming the first franchise to reach the playoffs in its first season.
They have taken another significant step forward in 2026, finishing the regular season with a 32-10 record and earning the No.2 seed, and their success has been built primarily on defense rather than a dominant individual scorer.
The Valkyries recorded a defensive rating of 99.1, more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team. That strength proved decisive against Las Vegas , which had beaten Golden State in all three regular-season meetings.
A'ja Wilson averaged 23 points during the semifinal series but shot just 41.1% from the field and Jackie Young also struggled, averaging 14.3 points on 31.6% shooting as Golden State 's defense was especially effective in the deciding game.
After trailing, the Valkyries mounted a second-half comeback and restricted Las Vegas to just two points during the opening eight minutes and 25 seconds of the third quarter, and Gabby Williams led Golden State during the series with 20.3 points per game.
Meanwhile Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes provided additional scoring as the Valkyries now stand four wins away from a championship in just their second season but Reese and Atlanta will aim to break their hearts and capture their first WNBA title.
