Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg made the too-small gesture after the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday.
Angel Reese had made the same gesture at the Valkyries’ Aminata Gueye in Game 3, and one fan put the two moments side-by-side in a post on Sunday.
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How Angel Reese’s Game 3 Gesture Found Its Way Back
Reese made her gesture during the Dream’s 97-71 rout at State Farm Arena on October 21. Ten days later, the Valkyries won the championship on their home floor at Chase Center.
The WNBA Defensive Player of the Year was at the center of the rout. Reese finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, made both of her 3-point attempts, and added 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
Her gesture came in the final seconds. With 29 seconds left, Dream center Madina Okot scored a driving hook shot over Gueye while drawing a foul, making it 94-69. Reese made the ‘too small’ gesture from the bench, and Okot’s ensuing free throw pushed Atlanta’s lead to a game-high 26.
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Lendeborg, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, was present at Chase Center to watch Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. Following the Valkyries’ triumph, Lendeborg made a similar too-small gesture, prompting one fan to connect it to Reese’s Game 3 celebration.
One user wrote on X, “Angel Reese gave the too small signal to the Valkyries after blowing them out in game 3. Yaxel Lendeborg returned the favor after the Valkyries won the WNBA Finals in game 7.”
The series was decided after a historic Game 7. It ended Saturday in a game that stayed close.
The Valkyries led 14-12 after the first quarter, and the Dream took a 30-24 lead into halftime. The Valkyries then won the third quarter 21-14 and the fourth 23-19.
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The first fan’s post was not the only response to Lendeborg’s gesture. Another fan reacted within two minutes of the first post going up.
Gueye also later responded to Reese’s gesture by sharing a screen grab of it in her Instagram post celebrating the Valkyries’ title.
Reese matched her Game 3 rebounding total with 12 in the deciding game, but little else carried over. She scored 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. She also went 1-of-3 from the free-throw line and committed 4 turnovers, double her total from Game 3. The Dream were outscored by 9 points in her 33 minutes.
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The Dream’s offense dried up around her. They shot 23-of-69 from the field, or 33 percent. They also made 6-of-30 3-pointers.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries. After scoring 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting in Game 3, she doubled that with 30 on Saturday, going 10-of-23 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
Behind 13 rebounds from Kiah Stokes and 10 from Veronica Burton, the Valkyries won the rebounding battle 37-35, after the Dream had a 37-34 edge in Game 3. They also blocked 8 shots to the Dream’s 2, and Williams had 4 of those blocks in a stunning performance.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
