Angel Reese promised a more aggressive version of herself after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. The three-time WNBA All-Star delivered that and then some, rewriting the record books along the way. Reese powered the Atlanta Dream to a 79-65 win over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 2 on Monday night at Chase Center, finishing with 30 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.

The victory evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 and gave Atlanta its first Finals win in franchise history after an 0-10 start on the league’s biggest stage.

Her performance came with a stack of historical marks. Reese became the first player in Dream history to post at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals game. She is also the first player in WNBA history to record a double-double in each of her first two Finals games, and just the third player in league history to put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals contest.

It was a sharp turnaround from Saturday. Reese had 14 points and 12 rebounds in her Finals debut, a 68-64 Game 1 loss, but all 14 of those points came before halftime. She went scoreless on just three shot attempts after the break and took the blame afterward.

“I don’t think they really did anything. Maybe that was just on me,” the 24-year-old said after Game 1. “I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball, trying to get the ball and get to my spot. So I’m definitely going to do a better job of that next game.”

She backed up those words right away, scoring 15 points in the first half on Monday. Atlanta took control by closing the third quarter on a 15-2 run.

Article Continues Below

The 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year had plenty of help. Allisha Gray added 18 points, while Jordin Canada posted 13 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.

On the other side, Gabby Williams and Tiffany Hayes each scored 14 points for Golden State. Williams, who scored 26 in Game 1, shot just 3-of-15 from the field.

The series now moves to State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24. With home-court advantage now in Atlanta’s hands, Reese and the Dream will look to keep the momentum rolling.