WNBA Finals Opponents Angel Reese and Kaila Charles Share Maryland Connection

University of Maryland women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese, who is celebrating her 25th anniversary on the College Park campus, has a handful of former players competing in the 2026 WNBA Finals.

The Golden State Valkyries lead the series 3-2 and have a chance to wrap it up with a win on Thursday, October 29, when the Atlanta Dream play host to Golden State.

The Dream boast Angel Reese, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Brionna Jones. They all played college basketball at Maryland.

Reese, a Baltimore native, is attempting to add a WNBA title to the NCAA championship she won after transferring from Maryland to LSU following her sophomore season. "All she does is win," said Devon Mason, a recruiting analyst based in the Washington, DC area.

Reese, who was named the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, comes from a family of basketball players. Her father, Michael Reese, played at H.D. Woodson High School in Washington, DC where he averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game and earned The Washington Post's All-Met honor during his senior campaign in 1989. He began his college career at Boston College in the Big East Conference and finished up at Loyola (Maryland).

Reese shares the same name as her mother, Angel, who played college basketball from 1988-92 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) where she finished her career with 1,390 points, 932 rebounds and 132 blocked shots. Angel Webb's No. 10 jersey is retired and she has been inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame. Angel's brother, Julian, also played college basketball.

Julian Reese, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, also played college basketball at the University of Maryland. Angel's cousin, Jordan Hawkins, won an NCAA championship at UConn and was a first-round NBA Draft selection in 2023. Hawkins currently plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Angel and her brother are both proud graduates of Baltimore's Saint Frances Academy. The private school has produced various professional athletes over the years including former WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Angel McCoughtry.

During her high school career at Saint Frances Academy, Angel Reese guided the Panthers to three straight IAAM championships and became a standout on the AAU circuit. She played for Team Takeover and was coached by Ron James. A five-star recruit, Reese was named a McDonald's All-American in 2020.

Meanwhile, Golden State Valkyries guard Kaila Charles, a Prince George's County, Maryland native, has had an interesting journey from high school to the pros.

Since beginning her college journey at Maryland in 2016, Charles, in addition to her stints with various WNBA teams, has traveled around the world, playing professional basketball overseas in Hungary, Israel, Russia and Italy.

"I love your journey, your path, it's been anything but easy," Frese told Charles during an episode of the 25 Years of Brenda Frese Podcast.

Charles was a three-year standout at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland where she guided the Raiders to a pair of Maryland 4A state championships before transferring to Riverdale Baptist, a private school located in nearby Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Besides Charles, a number of former Riverdale Baptist School standouts have gone on to play in the WNBA including Shakira Austin, Tianna Hawkins and Jonquel Jones.

"I always knew I had a job overseas," said Charles, "but the WNBA was always my biggest goal and that's somewhere I always saw myself."

During her senior campaign at the Riverdale Baptist School, Charles helped lead the Crusaders to a spot in the national championship game. For her efforts, she was named a McDonald's All-American and earned The Washington Post's All-Met Player of the Year honor. Charles played AAU basketball for Team Takeover and was coached by Ron James, the same person who coached Angel Reese.

Charles enjoyed a stellar four-year career at Maryland, earning various accolades including Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2017. She was also named first-team All-Big Ten three times and was a third-team All-American in 2020.

Charles was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and has bounced around the league in stints with the Atlanta Dream, Seattle Storm and Dallas Wings.

She's on a two-year contract with Golden State and is on the verge of winning a WNBA championship.

Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase and her squad definitely caught fans and pundits by surprise. No one expected them to be in this position in just the franchise's second season of existence. And Charles' contributions since being moved into the starting lineup during the Finals are a big reason why.

Charles acknowledged the Valkyries are "excited" and "very hungry" to win.

"We have 14 women that are wanting to work every single day," said Charles. "We have a great coach that allows everybody to be themselves. That's what I like, we are selfless and we just play very well together."

And no one could be prouder than Brenda Frese, who will have at least one former player earn a WNBA championship this year.

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