Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese had her worst outing of the WNBA Finals, as she only produced eight points on 2-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, and three assists. However, that had more to do with the Golden State Valkyries switching things up to win by five points than with Reese’s lack of effort, and one moment late in the second quarter highlighted that to perfection.

With 3:36 left on the clock in the first half, the Valkyries led 29-20. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year found herself in a one-on-one matchup against Valkyries star Gabby Williams. As Reese attempted a layup, cameras caught Williams pulling her left arm, throwing the forward off balance. Reese eventually lost possession to Kiah Stokes, but no foul was called on Williams.

According to sports analyst Ahaan Rungta on X, the sideline referee admitted the foul should have been called on Williams, as Reese told the referee, “then call it.”

The officiating debate quickly gained traction across the WNBA community, with the post surpassing 62,000 views within hours of the Game 4 broadcast.

According to the rulebook, if a defender grabs, yanks, or wraps their arms around an offensive player’s arm to restrict their path or steal the ball, it is a personal foul (holding).

But Reese did not let the referee’s missed call affect her. Rather than dwelling on the incident, she attacked the basket on the following possession and drew a foul. Although the 24-year-old missed both free throws, moments like these highlight how quickly players must move on from adversity and refocus on the next play. Reese finished the game shooting 4-of-6 from the charity stripe.

This was not the only time the two Finals MVP favorites guarded each other. Another moment occurred in the first quarter, with the roles reversed. With 2:28 left on the clock, Williams was carrying the ball to the Dream’s end. But standing in her way was Reese, closely watching her every step as she planned when to pounce on the 30-year-old. Williams tried her best to go past Reese for a quick layup but failed. Reese did not even let the ball touch the rim, slapping it away from Williams’ hand with all her might and subsequently celebrating the defensive effort in front of her.

Regardless, the French star got the last laugh as the Valkyries will now head to Chase Center for Game 5 with the series levelled. Williams recorded a team-high 17 points, as she is not giving up on her Finals MVP just yet. Speaking after the game, Reese revealed what went wrong for her this time around.

“I think I rushed a lot of my shots, and I didn’t take my time and finish around the basket like I’ve been doing in the last three games. It happens. I’m just looking forward to the next game, and I’ll just be better.” Reese told reporters.

This is similar to what the Bayou Barbie said after the Game 1 loss. Reese came back with massive 30- and 21-point games to help the Dream take the lead. But now, the tables seem to be turning to the Valkyries’ side, so it will be interesting to see what Reese has in store for Game 5, facing adversity once again.