Golden State Valkyries star Kiah Stokes does not seem bothered by Angel Reese’s trash talk during the 2026 WNBA Finals. After winning the championship against the Atlanta Dream, Golden State players and staff brought back Reese’s famous “too small” gesture during their celebration. However, Stokes believes fans are taking the exchange too seriously. Speaking on Unsupervised, she said trash talk is part of basketball and there is no reason to turn it into a personal fight. She also praised the fans but asked them not to overthink every exchange.
Kiah Stokes Explains Why Golden State Valkyries Players Enjoyed Angel Reese’s Trash Talk
Speaking on Unsupervised, Stokes said that fans were taking the players’ words too personally. She understood why people enjoyed discussing the rivalry but felt they were making too much out of normal on-court exchanges.She said:“I appreciate that we have a lot of fans. But sometimes I feel like y’all are taking things way too personal.This has literally nothing to do with you, and you’re making a whole think piece about it. ‘Cause I know for us, Angel wanna talk s***, it is what it is. Like, it’s a game, and she was cooking. Like, nobody gonna fault her for that… I think it’s just fun. I don’t take anything personal…and our rookie was also talking s*** back. I’m like, ‘Who doesn’t love this,’ right? So I think, yeah, I think the fans be doing way too much.“Stokes’ comments came after a Finals series in which Reese was not afraid to speak her mind.During Game 2, Reese recorded 30 points and 16 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream beat Golden State 79-65. She also exchanged words with rookie Aminata Gueye. At one point, Reese was heard saying, “You can’t guard me!”Game 3 brought another exchange. Atlanta won 97-71, and Reese directed a “You bum!” remark and the “too small” gesture toward the Valkyries’ bench. She also waved at the players as they left the court.Before Game 4, Reese said she wanted to affect Golden State’s confidence and do whatever she could to trouble the team.The exchanges continued in Game 6. After finishing a play through contact against Stokes, Reese turned toward the bench and said, “Sit down, you’re on the bench.” Atlanta won 80-69 to send the series to a deciding Game 7.However, Golden State had the final say. The Valkyries won 68-63 on October 31 to claim their first WNBA championship. Gabby Williams scored 30 points, including 28 in the second half, and earned Finals MVP honors.valkyries.wnba.com+1Reese’s “too small” gesture then became part of Golden State’s championship celebrations. Aminata Gueye shared a picture of the gesture after the win, while teammate Tiffany Hayes copied it during an Instagram Live session.The jokes continued at the November 4 championship parade in San Francisco. Some Valkyries staff members wore black shirts featuring Reese’s face edited into the Crying Jordan meme alongside the same hand gesture. Former Warriors player and Bay Area analyst Festus Ezeli also held up one of the shirts. Fans were seen carrying pink pacifiers with tags reading “if found return to: ATL.”Stokes also joined the celebrations with a shirt that referred to ESPN’s preseason title odds, which had not placed Golden State among the top five teams.Her own actions help explain why she sees the exchanges as part of the fun rather than a personal issue.Meanwhile, Reese announced that she was taking a break from her podcast and planned to spend the next six months focusing on herself. She also said Florida would be her home base and that she would share occasional vlogs. She did not connect the decision to the Finals or the parade.