​It’s hard to win without swagger. No one understands that better than Angel Reese, who emphasized it after she and the Atlanta Dream forced the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history with a flashy, confidence-laden, aura-filled 80-69 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday, Oct. 29, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. “You could definitely tell we got our swagger back,” Reese told reporters when asked about her team’s mentality in the victory. The answer was reminiscent of the viral football moment that came from 2014 when players from Warren De La Salle High School were interviewed by the local news before the Michigan State Championship game at Ford Field.Linebacker Jahwuan Nelson ran in front of the camera and boldly proclaimed: “I think I got my swagger back!” before offering a spirited dance. Nelson was referencing a line Jay-Z rapped in his 2007 song “All I Need” and again on “Otis,” his 2011 hit with Kanye West.View this post on InstagramYears later, the clip and Jay-Z lyrics, have been evoked by Travis Kelce, Kyrie Irving, and Cam Newton, who have quoted or playfully replicated it after major victories. Although Reese likely wasn’t thinking about the reference, the opening answer of her postgame news conference was a reminder of how confidence can lead to wins on the biggest stage. The Dream will need to carry that swagger over to Game 7 at the Chase Center in San Francisco to challenge the Valkyries in front of the WNBA’s most raucous fans and bring home the franchise’s first championship. Tipoff is a 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31 (USA/Peacock).Reese thanked the crowd at State Farm Arena for coming out and providing a boost of energy despite the last-minute 12:30 ET p.m. start. She finished the game with 15 points and 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the series, which is the second-most in Finals history. “Just being able to set the tone early, I mean, we didn’t have everybody come out at 12:30 for no reason,” Reese said. “We appreciate the fan support on a weekday. They came out and supported us every single day, every single game. So we wanted to make sure we ended this right here.”Reese’s star power draws celebrities for Dream games like Usher, who gleefully jumped up and down to celebrate with her in the tunnel after the Game 6 win.BIG GAME. BIG NAMES. 🔥Usher and Angel Reese link up after the @AtlantaDream dub!#WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinalspic.twitter.com/FWDnUOlLNm— WNBA (@WNBA) October 29, 2026Atlanta was led by Allisha Gray, who finished with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3. It was the second-highest scoring playoff game in her career, and she became the second player in league history to make at least five 3s when facing elimination in the Finals.“My plan was to come out aggressive from the jump. My teammates were really on me to just play my game,” Gray said. “The biggest thing was me staying locked in, and stepping up to the challenge.” Potent