The 2026 WNBA Finals have reached a crucial stage, with the Golden State Valkyries holding a 3-2 lead over the Atlanta Dream. With Atlanta now facing a must-win Game 6, the pressure is on Angel Reese to help her team keep its championship hopes alive.

However, amid the intense battle, former ESPN broadcaster Linda Cohn has expressed her disappointment with Reese over her recent criticism of the officiating.

Linda Cohn Is Disappointed With Angel Reese

During a recent episode of “The Linda Cohn Show,” Cohn discussed Reese’s comments about the referees following Atlanta’s Game 5 defeat.

The veteran broadcaster made it clear that she was disappointed with the Dream star’s reaction and believed Reese had grown past such moments.

“Angel Reese made herself a story. It’s because her post-games never give the Valkyries, never have; the entire series has given the Valkyries credit for the way they’re playing her defensively following a loss.”

“I have yet to hear any of that. In the past, I’ve heard in this series, in these finals, and you heard it too from Angel, saying, ‘Oh, you know, I got to be better. I got to be more aggressive.’ Nothing praising the Valkyries. And then, of course, this was very disappointing to hear. I thought she matured. I thought she had grown, but she has taken a step back,” Cohn said on her podcast.

Her criticism came after the Dream suffered a 64-55 defeat against the Valkyries in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday.

Following the loss, Reese expressed frustration with the officiating, particularly over what she believed was inconsistent treatment of physical contact throughout the series.

Reese specifically pointed to an incident from Game 4 involving Valkyries forward Gabby Williams. During one possession, Williams appeared to grab or pull Reese while loudly calling for a foul. Her teammates also joined in, seemingly trying to draw the referees’ attention. However, no foul was called on the play, something Reese brought up while discussing the officiating.

“And her team is saying it, and they’re all screaming foul, but the refs, I don’t know what’s going on, why they can’t hear it? And I know I have the mismatch, especially since we were talking about matchups.”

“So when I do switch on the post, and I’m a lot stronger than the opponent, I should be able to turn, and they’re calling an offensive foul, but I’m getting pushed before that. So that is frustrating for sure. It definitely shifted when we went up 2-1. Things shifted, and I don’t know what happened, but it definitely took a big turn,” Reese said after Game 5, pointing to the Game 4 incident.

Keeping Reese’s off-court comments aside, her performances on the court have also taken a hit recently. The Dream forward started the championship series strong. Across the opening three games against Golden State, she averaged 21.7 points and 13.3 rebounds.

However, the last two games have told a different story, as Reese managed just 8 points in Game 4 before finishing with 7 points in Monday’s Game 5 defeat.

Now, all eyes will be on Reese heading into Thursday’s game. The Dream need their star forward to rediscover the form she showed earlier in the series if they want to force a deciding Game 7.