Natalie Nakase has most definitely been practicing her trophy acceptance speech, with the Valkyries all set to take on the Dream in the next few days. Nakase is making sure that her girls go in with every bit of confidence, but not before putting in time and effort to analyze each and every opponent that the Atlanta franchise will bring to the court.
While the Dream brings a number of solid players to the finals with them, it looks like Nakase is personally fearful of facing Angel Reese. Nakase spoke highly about what Reese brings to Atlanta in a recent clip shared by The Athletic and her opinion of the baller needs to be heard, especially if you are an athlete yourself.
“She’s an ultimate ultra competitor. To me, when we were at USA you heard her voice constantly. So when she didn’t start, you heard her. She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed to. She constantly called them out when we needed energy. So, understanding, she’s a huge reason why that team is in the finals…” Natalie Nakase said.
Just observe what Natalie Nakase said about Angel Reese. The Valkyries head coach did not say anything about Reese’s performance, her rebounding ability, her defense skills, nothing! She only spoke about how competitive Reese is as a baller. In fact, she even went on to speculate that it is because of Reese’s competitiveness and team-spirit that Atlanta is even in the finals this time.
If you are an athlete who’s trying their best to make a mark on their team, Angel Reese is the role model you need. Players like Reese can change the energy of the entire team at any given point, which makes her the Dream’s life-buoy at this point.
Natalie Nakase First-Handedly Witnessed Angel Reese’s Game With Team USA
Natalie Nakase has a slightly upper-hand when it comes to dealing with the Dream in the finals. Firstly, Atlanta has never been able to win a single game against the Valkyries so far in the regular season.
Secondly, Nakase has coached and worked with several Dream players, including Angel Reese, in the recent FIBA World Cup. Four Atlanta icons played in the WC under the coaching of Kara Lawson, Natalie Nakase and Stephanie White. This means that Nakase has had plenty of time to learn Reese’s game, along with that of Rhyne Howard, which is surely a plus for her and Golden State in the WNBA finals.
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