Dream Coach Says Referees Missed Contact on Reese in Finals Loss

The Atlanta Dream lost Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night.

The Golden State Valkyries won 64-55 at home to take a 3-2 series lead. Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko said after the game that officials missed repeated contact on center Angel Reese. "The contact on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. Just ridiculous," Smesko said. He also said he saw missed double-dribble and travel calls against Golden State. "You can't be at this level and make that many mistakes," he said.

Reese scored seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and made 3 of 4 free throws. She was charged with four personal fouls. The previous night in Game 4, she had eight points on 2-of-12 shooting, made 4 of 6 free throws, and picked up four fouls. It marked the first time in her career, regular season or postseason, that she has gone two games in a row with two or or fewer field goals. It is also the second time she has scored in single digits in consecutive games, the first coming in 2024. "I am still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality," Reese said. "I'm kind of used to it because this was happening throughout the season, so I have to just continue to play through it."

Reese said she noticed a change in how the game was officiated starting in Game 4. "It definitely shifted when we went up 2-1," Reese said. "I don't know what happened, but it definitely took a big turn." The Dream attempted 116 free throws over the first four games, an average of 29.0 per game. In Games 2, 3, and 4, Atlanta became the second team in WNBA history to attempt at least 25 free throws in three straight Finals games, according to ESPN Insights. On Monday, the Dream went 11-of-14 at the line, their fewest attempts in a game this postseason and tied for their second-fewest in any game this season.

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said the physical play was expected at this point in the series. "Both teams really want to win this," Nakase said. "These are two defensive-minded teams .. they like physicality, so that's part of it. I ain't shocked about this."

The scoring was low on both sides. Golden State's 64 points were the fewest in a Finals win since the Sacramento Monarchs scored that total in 2005, and Atlanta's 55 were the fewest in a Finals game since the Mercury in Game 3 of the 2021 Finals. The Dream shot 29.2% from the field, the fourth-lowest mark by any team in a Finals game, and 23.5% in the paint, the worst by any team in a game this postseason. "There are things that are on us, like we're missing shots we should make. But at the same time, that needs to be a whole lot better than it was," Smesko said.

Game 6 is next in the series. The WNBA has not yet announced a date for the game.