Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko shared his unfiltered thoughts on how the WNBA game officials have been treating forward Angel Reese during the 2026 WNBA Finals.
The Dream fell to a 64-55 loss in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, officially trailing the series 3-2 as they head home for a must-win Game 6 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Arena and scheduling issues aside, the Dream will be hoping the WNBA’s referees are performing at their highest level after openly criticising their treatment of Angel Reese so far in the series.
Dream coach calls out WNBA referees over Angel Reese treatment
Dream coach Karl Smesko spoke boldly about the officiating after the game, slamming the amount of contact defenders are allowed to get away with on Reese compared to other players on the court.
“The contact they allow on Angel (Reese) compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. We should have gone to the foul line 6-8 more times just on that … You can’t be at this level and make this many mistakes.”
One of the biggest no-calls in this clash against Reese came in the fourth quarter when Reese was whistled for an offensive foul on Cecilia Zandalasini, claiming that Zandalasini initiated the contact with a slight shove, which went unnoticed.
There was also a controversial transition play against Tiffany Hayes where Reese was called for an offensive foul for going through Hayes on a drive, leading to complaints from both Reese and Smesko on the court.
The increased physicality of the 2026 WNBA Finals has led to low-scoring games, but the Dream believe that if Reese responds with the same physicality on offense that the Valkyries are using on defense, they are getting no consideration from the referees.
Reese ended Game 5 with seven points on 2-for-8 field goal shooting alongside 15 rebounds and five assists. Her no-show offensively ensured the Valkyries had the momentum to win the game and be one win away from winning the title in their second season as a team.
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