Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese came through for her team when it mattered most, leading them to victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday to force a historic Game 7 in the WNBA Finals.

Reese and her Dream teammates dealt with adversity after losing a 2-1 lead, and she detailed how the team responded and saved their season with the Game 6 victory.

Angel Reese Says Dream Are Confident Heading Into Game 7 of WNBA Finals

Reese revealed the key to the Dream’s strong bounce-back performance while speaking to the media after the game.

“I think it started with us being able to have a little players-only meeting before film and talking through things, getting our confidence, getting our swagger back,” Reese said. “You can definitely tell that we got our swagger back.”

A week ago, Reese seemed to be cruising towards being named Finals MVP before the Valkyries responded to win Games 4 and 5 of the series. Reese struggled in both games and received strong criticism from fans and analysts.

However, she responded in Game 6, finishing the Dream’s 80-69 win over the Valkyries with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists.

She cited the Dream’s ability to punch first, as Atlanta won the first quarter 32-15, essentially sealing the game after 10 minutes. The Valkyries struggled defensively, as multiple Dream players hit wide-open threes.

Reese helped set the tone, but her All-Star teammates also had great performances. Guard Rhyne Howard, who might be Reese’s top competition for Finals MVP if the Dream win the championship, scored 21 points and has been the team’s most consistent scoring threat during the Finals.

Reese was especially proud of guard Allisha Gray, who scored 23 points and returned to form after struggling on both ends of the floor in Games 4 and 5. Gray is playing through a hand injury but appears to have her confidence back heading into Game 7.

The Dream clearly played with a sense of urgency at the start of Game 6, and they’ll look to do the same in Game 7 to win the WNBA championship.

Reese and her teammates are aware that the Valkyries regained some momentum in the second half of Game 6 even though they lost. The Valkyries were down by 25 points but eventually cut the deficit to single digits as they made a second-half run.

As the Finals head back to the Bay Area for the WNBA season’s final chapter, Reese and her teammates are confident their swagger is back and they can finish the job.