Angel Reese did not back down against the Golden State Valkyries’ Aminata Gueye. In a first-quarter sequence in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream star chirped at the French center before blocking her shot on the next possession.
Reese’s competitive flair and defensive prowess went viral, earning her high praise on social media.
Angel Reese Turns Heads After Trash-Talking and Shutting Down Aminata Gueye
Down 1-0 in the series, Atlanta needed a win in Monday’s Game 2 clash. Reese knew her team couldn’t go down 2-0 in the Finals, so she came out swinging to tie the series.
From the opening tip, her intensity was on full display, setting up a viral moment at Gueye’s expense.
With just a little over a minute left in the first quarter, Reese was fouled on a shot attempt by Gueye. Between her free throws, the Dream star could be seen talking trash to the Valkyries center.
“You can’t [expletive] with me, bum [expletive],” Reese appeared to say before sinking her second shot at the charity stripe.
On the next possession, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year showed why she earned that award by rejecting Gueye’s shot attempt, with Legion Hoops dubbing the sequence “cold.”
Fans on social media praised Reese for backing up her strong words.
“Reese is a dawg, sad her teammates can’t match her energy,” one X user said.
“And then she blocked ole girl at the other end 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 perfect back up to the [expletive] talk,” another commented.
“She exactly who she think she is,” one user chimed in.
“I will never tolerate Angel Reese hate/disrespect,” a fan declared.
“It’s levels in this game,” a comment read.
“They will never learn about Angel 😂😂,” another posted.
Reese went on to have an impressive outing, earning her first-ever WNBA Finals win. Her two-way dominance helped her squad take over in the second half en route to a 79-65 victory.
She recorded a game-high 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting, knocking down her lone 3-point attempt. Additionally, she led all players with 16 rebounds. Along with her block on Gueye, she rejected Tiffany Hayes in the third quarter for a total of 2 swats.
With the series now tied at 1-1, the Dream have a chance to seize momentum from the Valkyries.
Atlanta will have home-court advantage for the next two games, scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday. Winning both won’t guarantee a championship, but it would give the Dream a massive advantage.
Reese also has a chance to make history if she leads her team to the title. She could win a championship in her first Finals appearance while helping the Dream capture their first title in franchise history.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.