Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...SAN FRANCISCO — Angel Reese let out a big smile when she was asked about Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase.
The memories from Reese and Nakase’s short stint with USA Basketball this past spring came easy. The practices, the conversations and the relationship they built is something Reese will never forget.
“We had fun more than anything. Me and her had a good time,” Reese said after Wednesday’s shootaround. “We were laughing a lot. We built kind of more of a personal relationship. She’s a great coach, uses analytics, and she helped me a lot defensively with how aggressive it is playing USA basketball. So she was really helpful there, and I really like playing for her. She was really fun.”
But over the course of the next week, Nakase will be devising a plan to stop Reese.
The Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream are set to meet three times in the next 10 days – three of Golden State’s next four contests – as the Valkyries face one of their toughest stretches of the season.
Reese is in the midst of a career year, leading a Dream team that sits atop the Eastern Conference.
For the Valkyries, the challenge is as much physical as it is tactical. Reese’s relentless work on the offensive glas runs headlong into Golden State’s small-ball identity – a style built on pace, spacing and 3-and-D versatility.
Nakase knows exactly what to expect.
“I know the type of physicality and the type of heart that she plays with,” Nakase said of Reese after Tuesday’s practice. “So we got to match that. She averages five or six offensive rebounds. So we got to make sure we take that away.”
Nakase got to spend time with the league’s most prolific rebounder when she was in Puerto Rico with Reese for the Women’s Olympic and World Cup qualifiers. Nakase served as an assistant under Team USA coach Kara Lawson while Reese was on a stacked roster that included Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Kelsey Plum.
Shortly after her time with Team USA, Reese was shockingly traded from the Chicago Sky to the Dream.
Since the trade, Reese has been on a tear. Through 16 games, the former LSU standout is averaging 15 points and a league-leading 11.8 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from the field.
“I’m playing with joy. I’m having a lot of fun when we’re winning,” Reese said. “If nothing else matters. you can come to work every day, and not have to worry about anything other than basketball. You get to play with amazing players every single day. You get to play with coaches, be coached by coaches that push you every single day to be better.”
Reese presents an interesting challenge for the Valkyries.
Nakase has shortened her rotation in the last few weeks, and has shifted to playing more small-ball with players like Kayla Thornton and Janelle Salaün playing more center.
Along with Reese, forward Naz Hillmon and center Madina Okot are solid frontcourt options Atlanta has to throw at the Valkyries when they do go small.
Thornton said keeping Reese off the glass will be the biggest key to winning the rebounding battle.
“She’s a great player. It’s just about paying attention to making sure I box her out the right way and having help from other teammates,” Thornton said.
Salaün, however, believes a team approach will best to handle Reese’s tenacity on the boards.
“I don’t think much about it. We’re gonna play team defense and hopefully stop whatever plan they have,” Salaün said.
It’s a mentality that will be tested early and often in the next 10 days.
Reese isn’t just a player who is hard to keep off the glass, but one that is hard to rattle.
But even she knows Golden State’s defense will be a challenge for her.
“All five positions play hard. Also, when they come in from the bench, they play really hard,” Reese said. “So I think Natalie has done a great job emphasizing the defensive identity, and I think they can always rely on that every single night.
“I think they’re one of the best 3-point shooting teams. Their 3-and-D is always really good, and I think Natalie’s done a great job with them.”