The 2026 WNBA season ended with the Golden State Valkyries winning their first championship. They beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals series.

But the conversation afterward hasn’t just been about the winners. Former ESPN broadcaster Linda Cohn has weighed in on the role Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese played in the series.

Linda Cohn’s Recent Take Regarding Angel Reese

On a recent episode of “The Linda Cohn Show,” Cohn said Reese was in a full villain arc during the Finals, and that this was a big reason so many people tuned in. In her view, Reese’s edge helped bring the eyeballs.

“The story of the Valkyries was a great story. And Angel Reese playing the villain of this story for many people really helped bring the eyeballs to the screen,” Cohn said on her podcast.

There was an interesting reason behind Reese being viewed as the villain. She was playing against a team from the Valkyries that was only in its second WNBA season.

The Golden State franchise was still building its identity, and its unexpected run to the Finals gave fans another team to rally behind. Meanwhile, Reese became one of the central figures on the opposing side, adding another layer to the rivalry.

One particular moment from Game 3 helped strengthen that image. During the fourth quarter, Atlanta had already established a comfortable lead over Golden State. Reese, who was sitting on the bench, could be heard repeatedly yelling, “You a bum,” at the Valkyries rookie Aminata Gueye.

She followed those comments with the popular “too small” hand gesture while wearing a wide grin. The gesture appeared to mock Gueye, suggesting that the rookie was no match for Atlanta.

Now, coming to the numbers, Game 7 of the 2026 WNBA Finals drew approximately 3.3 million viewers across USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock. It became the most-watched WNBA playoff game in league history, surpassing the previous record of 3.25 million viewers set during the 1999 Finals.

The deciding game was also the second-most-watched WNBA regular-season or postseason game since the league’s opening weekend in 1997, trailing only the Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky regular-season matchup earlier this year.

The success was not limited to Game 7. The entire Finals series averaged 1.88 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals since 1999.

Cohn’s comments put another perspective on what made the series so appealing to viewers. The Valkyries had an inspiring championship run, but the competitive tension between the two teams also kept spectators invested. Reese’s outspoken personality and willingness to embrace the villain role added another storyline to the matchup.