For Kiah Stokes, it was essential that Angel Reese, whom she views as the “head of the snake” for Atlanta, was not allowed to dominate in Game 4. Stokes had good reasons for this, as Reese made WNBA history in Game 2 of the Finals by becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to record a 30-point, 15-rebound game in the playoffs, knocking down 30 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, and then followed it up with a 21-point performance that paved the way for a comprehensive 26-point victory for Atlanta in Game 3. Expectations were again high for Angel Reese and Co. in Game 4.

A win here would have taken them to the cusp of the WNBA title. Instead, the game saw Reese and the rest of the team commit too many errors that ended up costing them a close game. Rhyne Howard echoed a similar point after the game, noting that Atlanta failed to match the Valkyries’ intensity, especially at the start.

“They just came out aggressive, and we didn’t come out ready to match that. You know, I think it forced [us] into some untimely decisions, and they kept it on second,” Howard said after the game.

Right in the first quarter, Golden State snatched momentum with a lightning-quick 12–0 run, turning a 7–2 deficit into a 14–7 lead before closing the quarter up 16–11. The Valkyries kept up the pressure in the second, too. Every time Atlanta knocked on the door, Burton slammed it shut with a cold-blooded bucket, pacing a 26–15 second-quarter beatdown that sent Golden State into the locker room commanding a 42–26 advantage.

Angel Reese finished with just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field. It was a night marred by costly mistakes for Reese and Co., as Reese committed six turnovers and Atlanta registered 17, which allowed the Valkyries to take 16 points off them.

Reese admitted after the game that her performance may not have been at the level that she has shown throughout this series.

“I think I rushed a lot on my shots,” Reese said. “I didn’t take my time and finish around the basket like I’d been doing the last three games.”

“…I didn’t take my time finishing around the basket like I’ve been doing in the last two games, and it happens, and I’m just looking forward to the next game, and I’ll just be better,” Reese added.

Reese’s stat line had a lot to do with the changes Natalie Nakase made to the Valkyries’ starting lineup. Anchored by Kiah Stokes in the paint as the backline enforcer, Golden State’s frontcourt completely flipped the script with an unapologetic dose of grit and physicality—the exact ingredient missing from their Game 3 no-show. Stokes dominated the paint with 16 total rebounds (eight offensive) and three rejections.

Her words after the game indicate she was happy her team eked out a win here.

“The one thing that I had told the team after the last game is the goal, when we play on the road, especially when it’s 2-2, just steal one on the road,” Stokes said. “So yeah, we lost on what was that Wednesday? But to me, that doesn’t mean we’re out of anything because our goal could still be accomplished if we won today.”

“It was just shake it off and learn from it and then just get ready because nothing was won or lost in Game 3.”

Besides Stokes, Kaila Charles turned in an ultra-efficient 29 minutes, finishing with a commanding +14 rating.

Drafted by the Dream back in 2012, Tiffany Hayes returned to haunt her former franchise right in their own building. Hayes seized control down the stretch, dropping seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter while sparking a shift that rallied the Valkyries to snatch a win on the road.

Hayes reflected on her mentality that contributed to this victory after the game.

“Just to give all I had, which is what I always do,” Hayes said. “Of course, you gotta give a little more. Instead of 110%, you gotta give 120%. We’re all fighting, battling. But at the end of the day, we’re here for each other, and we do it for each other, so I think we showed that today.”

Certainly, with the full force of “Balhalla” behind them in the upcoming Game 5, the Valkyries will look to take one step closer to their first-ever title.

The post "Forced Into Some Untimely Decisions": Angel Reese's Teammate Weighs In on Dream’s Costly Game 4 Blunder appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.