Following a dominant Game 3 performance in the WNBA Finals, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese wanted all the smoke.
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Reese → follow → smoke
After posting 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 97-71 win at State Farm Arena, Reese taunted Golden State players with a "too small" gesture.
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Reese → post → gesture
Atlanta had a 2-1 series lead, and Reese had combined for 51 points and 28 rebounds in consecutive victories.
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Reese → have → victories
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News → sign → wager
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that → create → newsroom
By the end of Game 3, Reese had become the odds-on betting favorite to win Finals MVP.
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Reese → become → MVP
Two games later, it’s Reese who looks small.
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who → ’ → ?
The 24-year-old forward combined for 15 points on 4-for-20 shooting in Games 4 and 5, both Atlanta losses.
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forward → combine → Games
She committed nine turnovers, more than twice her four made field goals.
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She → commit → turnovers
What had been a 2-1 series advantage is now a 3-2 deficit, leaving Reese and the Dream one loss from elimination.
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been → leave → elimination
Her tone has changed, too.
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tone → change → ?
After explaining how she was getting into Golden State’s head, Reese is now complaining about the whistle.
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Reese → explain → whistle
During Friday’s media availability before Game 4, Reese sounded like a player who believed she had the Valkyries figured out.
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Valkyries → sound → player
"They’re playing into my mental game where I can take their confidence and just try to do whatever to mess them up," Reese said.
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Reese → play → them
She wasn’t done.
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She → do → ?
"I’m really confident within myself.
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I → ’m → myself
Everybody knows that," Reese said.
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Reese → know → that
At the time, she had the performances to back it up.
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she → have → it
Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Game 2, then followed with another double-double in Game 3.
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Reese → score → Game
Atlanta won those games by a combined 40 points.
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Atlanta → win → points
Then Reese and Atlanta got a harsh reminder that Golden State reached the WNBA Finals for a reason.
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State → get → reason
Reese scored eight points on 2-for-12 shooting in Saturday’s 67-62 loss at State Farm Arena.
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Reese → score → Arena
She missed her first five shots of the fourth quarter and committed her sixth turnover on Atlanta’s final possession.
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She → miss → possession
Afterward, she acknowledged that her finishing had been a problem.
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finishing → acknowledge → ?
"I didn’t take my time finishing around the basket like I’ve been doing in the last two games," Reese said.
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Reese → take → games
She added that "it happens" and promised, "I’ll just be better."
But Reese didn't play much better in Game 5.
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Reese → add → Game
She finished with seven points on 2-for-8 shooting in Golden State’s 64-55 Game 5 victory at Chase Center.
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She → finish → Center
Reese once again had more turnovers (3) than made field goals (2), although she did grab 15 rebounds and dish out five assists.
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she → have → assists
Before Game 5, Reese drew attention for arriving at Chase Center in a "Protect Black Women" shirt.
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Reese → draw → shirt
After the game, Reese was less interested in saying that she should "be better."
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she → say → game
Instead, she directed her frustration toward the referees.
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she → direct → referees
"A lot of us are getting fouled, and they’re not calling it," she said.
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she → foul → it
Reese said the officiating had changed after Atlanta took its 2-1 series lead.
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Atlanta → say → lead
She pointed to an uncalled grab by Gabby Williams in Game 4 and complained about being whistled for offensive fouls after defenders pushed her first.
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defenders → point → her
"It definitely took a big turn," Reese said.
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Reese → take → turn
Her coach backed her up.
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coach → back → her
"The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous.
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they → allow → everybody
Just ridiculous," Karl Smesko said.
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Smesko → say → ?
Smesko argued that contact on Reese alone should have sent Atlanta to the foul line six to eight more times.
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contact → argue → line
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
