Angel Reese is going to the WNBA Finals. The Randallstown native scored 22 points Friday night as the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 85-83 to finish a three-game semifinal sweep, sending Atlanta to its first Finals since 2013 and giving Baltimore a hometown player to follow on the league’s biggest stage.
The Dream will face the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-seven series that starts Saturday, Oct. 17. Here is how Reese, the league’s 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, got from St. Frances Academy to the Finals, and when Baltimore fans can watch.
What happened in Game 3 against the Liberty?
Reese set the tone early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers, according to The Baltimore Banner. Rhyne Howard added 21 points. The game turned tense late: Atlanta led 83-81 with 17.7 seconds left, Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup with nine seconds remaining, and DeWanna Bonner hit two free throws with 6.2 seconds left to seal it.
Atlanta did it without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who missed Games 2 and 3 with a finger injury suffered in Game 1, according to The Boston Globe. Jonquel Jones and Stewart scored 26 points each for New York, which won the franchise’s first championship in 2024.
For Reese, it was a payoff she had openly predicted. The Banner noted that, while watching last year’s Finals from home, she posted “manifesting the finals” on social media, exactly 364 days before Friday’s win.
“Sat at home the last two years and watched it.”
Angel Reese, on the WNBA Finals, as quoted by The Baltimore Banner
When are the WNBA Finals and how can you watch in Baltimore?
Games air nationally on NBC and USA Network. In the Baltimore market, NBC games are carried on WBAL-TV 11.
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat., Oct. 17 | 3:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Game 2 | Mon., Oct. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | USA |
| Game 3 | Thu., Oct. 22 | 8 p.m. | USA |
| Game 4 | Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Game 5* | Mon., Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. | USA |
| Game 6* | Thu., Oct. 29 | 8 p.m. | USA |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | 8 p.m. | USA |
Golden State reached the Finals by sweeping the Las Vegas Aces, winning Game 3 87-77 in overtime. Atlanta has not lost a postseason game this year: it swept the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the first round, ending the D.C.-area team’s season, before sweeping New York.
How did a Randallstown kid become a WNBA star?
Reese’s path runs straight through Baltimore. Born May 6, 2002, she grew up in Randallstown in Baltimore County and learned the game from her mother, also named Angel, who played college basketball at UMBC.
- St. Frances Academy (Baltimore): A 2020 McDonald’s All-American, Reese finished with 1,720 points and 1,250 rebounds. Her No. 10 jersey became the first retired for a female player at the school.
- University of Maryland (2020–22): She stayed home for college. After a foot fracture interrupted her freshman season, she averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds as a sophomore in College Park and was named a third-team AP All-American.
- LSU (2022–24): After transferring, she led LSU to the 2023 national championship and was named the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
- Chicago Sky (2024–25): Drafted seventh overall in 2024, she made the All-Star team in both seasons and led the league in rebounding in 2025.
- Atlanta Dream (2026): Chicago traded her to Atlanta in April for the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, the AP reported.
How good was Angel Reese’s 2026 season?
Her first year in Atlanta was her best. Reese was named 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, receiving 46 of 74 votes from a national media panel; Golden State’s Gabby Williams, her Finals opponent, finished second with 20 votes, 92Q reported.
She led the WNBA with 12.1 rebounds per game, ranked third in steals at 1.8 per game and averaged a career-high 16.4 points. She became the first player in league history to collect 500 rebounds in a season, finishing with 521, and set a single-game record with 26 rebounds. She also earned her third straight All-Star selection.
What does this mean for Baltimore basketball?
Reese’s run comes as Baltimore prepares for a professional women’s team of its own: the Baltimore Starlings, announced for the 2027 Upshot League season. For young players at St. Frances and across Baltimore County, a former local star competing for a WNBA title is a visible example of the path from Baltimore gyms to the pros.
Atlanta needs four more wins for its first championship. Game 1 tips off Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
Featured image: Angel Reese during a Chicago Sky game in September 2024. Photo: John Mac / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.