Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream had turned the WNBA Finals around with consecutive wins, including a dominant 26-point victory in Game 3.

But the Golden State Valkyries responded with a 67-62 win in Game 4 on Saturday, tying the series at 2-2. Afterward, Reese identified the stretch that put Atlanta in trouble and admitted she needed to be better.

Angel Reese Points to Dream’s Costly Second Quarter in Game 4 Loss

Atlanta struggled to find its rhythm from the opening minutes on Saturday. Golden State took a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, then pulled away by outscoring the Dream 26-15 in the second.

The Valkyries went into halftime with a 42-26 advantage, the largest deficit Atlanta had faced in the playoffs. Asked about the loss and how the Dream could prepare for another game in San Francisco, Reese was direct about what went wrong.

“I think our second quarter is what honestly killed us, 26-15,” Reese said. “We applied a lot of pressure but we can’t wait to the second half to do it, especially in Ballhalla.”

Golden State’s defense made the difference, forcing the Dream into 17 turnovers.

Atlanta’s offense also did not help itself, as they finished shooting just 33.3% from the field and 71.0% from free throws, compared to the Valkyries’ 36.1% and 84.6%, respectively.

Reese had recorded double-doubles in each of the first three Finals games, including 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2 and 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3.

But Game 4 was a different story because the three-time All-Star finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds, shooting just 2-of-12 from the field and committing 6 turnovers.

The Atlanta forward also took responsibility for her finishing around the basket when asked about the game’s physicality.

“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,” Reese said. “I’m just looking forward to the next game and I’ll just be better.”

The Dream did respond after halftime, cutting the deficit to 54-45 by the end of the third quarter. They continued to fight in the final quarter, cutting the deficit to five points, but Golden State answered whenever Atlanta threatened to take control.

Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 17 points, while Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton added 13 apiece. Kiah Stokes grabbed 16 rebounds and helped protect the paint. Rhyne Howard, meanwhile, led Atlanta with 19 points.

The series now returns to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday. Atlanta has already shown it can win on the road, taking Game 2 at the Valkyries’ home court.

With the series tied 2-2, both teams remain in contention for the title. If Atlanta and Reese follow through with their gameplan and start stronger while maintaining their intensity for all four quarters, the Dream will give themselves a better chance of winning their first ever championship.