Sophie Cunningham Reveals the One Flaw Keeping Angel Reese From True MVP Status

On the latest episode of her 'No Hesitation' podcast, Sophie Cunningham pointed out that finishing at the rim was the single biggest difference between Angel Reese looking dominant and struggling during the WNBA Finals.

The blunt assessment came right after the Atlanta Dream fell agonizingly short of capturing the league title.

Atlanta lost 68-63 to the Golden State Valkyries in a hard-fought Game 7.

Reese contributed eight points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 3-of-7 from the field in the deciding contest.

Following the defeat, Cunningham sat down on her podcast with skill trainer Drew Hanlen to break down why Reese could not sustain her early Finals brilliance.

Cunningham argued that Reese has all the tools to capture Most Valuable Player honors but remains limited by one recurring issue.

That glaring obstacle is converting basic scoring opportunities around the basket.

BREAKDOWN ON NO HESITATION

Cunningham and Hanlen took a deep dive into the tape from the historic seven-game series.

Both hosts acknowledged that Reese made noticeable strides in several key facets of her skill set throughout the campaign.

Hanlen pointed out that Reese showed clear development away from the painted area.

"We’ve highlighted how much she’s improved her free-throw shooting," Hanlen said.

"We’ve highlighted how much she’s improved her three-point shooting," Hanlen added.

"But [missing her layups] is the thing that holds her back because in Games 2 and 3, she looked so dominant," Hanlen noted.

Cunningham strongly agreed with that technical evaluation.

"She was killing, and she was literally looking like the MVP because of the consistency of her making her layups," Cunningham explained.

Cunningham pointed directly to the physical advantages Reese possesses against almost any defender.

"She gets these all the time," Cunningham said.

"She is tall," Cunningham continued.

"She is strong," Cunningham added.

"She gets these shots," Cunningham noted.

Cunningham revisited the games where Atlanta looked virtually unstoppable on the championship stage.

Reese poured in 31 points in Game 2 and followed up with 20 points in Game 3.

"It’s because she was making her layups," Cunningham said regarding those explosive outings.

"We talked about this," Cunningham emphasized.

"She was dominant because she was making these," Cunningham said.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF MISSED FINISHES

The podcast co-hosts explained that the struggles around the cup extended far beyond the missed two points.

Hanlen observed that missed layups often threw Reese off her mental focus during high-leverage possessions.

"The other thing that I noticed is when she misses these, there’s a lot of times where she is complaining at the ref," Hanlen said.

Those emotional reactions carried clear consequences on the floor during crucial Finals stretches.

"She got a couple of technicals," Hanlen pointed out.

"A couple of times where she just doesn’t get back in transition," Hanlen explained.

Hanlen stressed that overcoming that pattern must become the focal point of her training regimen.

"I think that’s something that has to fuel her this summer of like, ‘I have to make these layups,'" Hanlen stated.

He reiterated that continuing to expand her perimeter repertoire cannot come at the expense of primary interior scoring duties.

A FRUSTRATING FINALS FINISH

The numbers from the championship series backed up the podcast crew's technical breakdown.

Reese disappeared offensively for long stretches during Games 1, 4, 5, and 7 of the series.

The 24-year-old forward failed to reach double-digit points in three of the seven games.

Yet her broader playoff production showed how dynamic she can be when clicking.

Across 12 postseason contests, Reese averaged 16.1 points, 11 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game.

She converted 41.7 percent of her field goal attempts during the postseason run.

She also shot an impressive 37.9 percent from three-point range throughout the playoffs.

Still, the Game 7 collapse left Atlanta just short of the finish line.

The Dream stood roughly 10 minutes away from hoisting the franchise's first WNBA trophy.

A late offensive explosion by Golden State forward Gabby Williams swung momentum away from the Dream for good.

Following the gut-wrenching Game 7 defeat, Reese revealed her immediate personal plans.

The star forward stated that she would step back from the public eye during the break.

Reese announced that she intends to spend the six-month hiatus "dedicating this offseason to myself."

Despite the heartbreak, Reese projected strong confidence about Atlanta's championship window under head coach Karl Smesko.

"And just because we didn't win today doesn't mean that we won't be champions in the future," Reese asserted after the loss.

She credited Smesko's guidance and stressed that player development remains the foundation of team success.

"When individually you get better in the offseason, you get better collectively, and you can see that Karl puts a lot of work in," Reese said.

THE SHIFT IN ATLANTA

The disappointing Finals ending could not erase what became the most accomplished season in Atlanta Dream history.

The arrival of Reese transformed the franchise both culturally and competitively.

Reese put together a standout campaign, earning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.

Her commanding interior presence also secured her a spot on the All-WNBA Second Team.

Atlanta tied its all-time franchise record for wins in a single regular season.

The team advanced past the first round of the postseason for the first time since 2018.

Spanning the close of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, Atlanta rattled off 10 consecutive wins to set a franchise record.

The Dream also secured their first-ever WNBA Finals victory during the series.

They pushed the matchup all the way to the very first Game 7 in WNBA history.

THE VALKYRIES DEFENSIVE WALL

Part of Reese's late-series struggles stemmed from the formidable rim protection she faced on the opposite block.

Cunningham made a point to spotlight Golden State veteran Kiah Stokes for completely altering the Finals.

Stokes arrived in Golden State after spending five seasons with the Las Vegas Aces.

She had already earned three championship rings with Las Vegas before anchoring the Valkyries' inaugural title run.

The 33-year-old center appeared in all 13 postseason games for Golden State this year.

Stokes averaged 4.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 blocks per contest in the playoffs.

She established a new WNBA Finals record by swatting 19 blocks across the seven-game battle.

Many of those rejections came while defending Reese directly in the paint.