SAN FRANCISCO – Angel Reese started Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with 11 points in the first quarter, then went the rest of the afternoon without making another field goal. In Game 2, she gave the Atlanta Dream considerably more than a good start.
Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Chase Center, evening the best-of-seven series at 1-1. She added 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.
She became the youngest player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game.
DREAM, VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM IN WNBA FINALS GAME 2 DESPITE RULEBOOK REQUIREMENT
It took four trips to the Finals for the Dream to finally win a game. Atlanta was swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013, then lost Saturday’s opener to fall to 0-10 in championship series games. Reese helped put an end to that streak with one of the best games of her career.
But before tipoff, there was another national anthem controversy. Both teams again stayed off the court for the anthem, leaving the floor just before the start of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and returning seconds after Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the teams’ absences.
Once the game began, Reese attacked the basket and kept giving Atlanta offense. She scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the second, giving her 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first half. Those 15 points represented one more than she scored in all of Game 1.
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Reese’s strong night still included a brief tantrum early in the third quarter. With the game tied at 40, she stomped her feet after not getting the ball and walked away while Atlanta’s possession continued, taking herself out of position to pursue an offensive rebound. That’s a bad look in a Finals game.
To Reese’s credit, she didn’t let one bad moment define her night. She followed the outburst with a block on Tiffany Hayes, then later finished through contact against Kiah Stokes and completed the three-point play.
Cameras showed Reese yelling “Give me the f—–g ball!” after the and-1 bucket.
Reese finished with nine third-quarter points, matching Golden State’s entire output.
The Valkyries never made Reese pay for entering the second half with three fouls. She stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter without picking up another one, while Golden State kept firing jump shots and failed to get to the free-throw line.
Both teams made four field goals in the third quarter, including one three-pointer apiece. Atlanta went 12-for-12 at the foul line. Golden State didn’t attempt a free throw. This wasn’t a case of a one-way whistle, either; Golden State routinely settled for outside shots rather than attacking the paint.
The Dream took a 60-46 lead into the fourth, and the advantage reached 21 with just over six minutes remaining.
Reese added six points in the fourth quarter, including a 24-foot three-pointer that put Atlanta ahead 74-55 with 4:15 remaining.
The series moves to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday.