Phoenix Mercury star Kelsey Plum believes Angel Reese’s mindset played a major role in the Atlanta Dream’s Game 2 victory over the Golden State Valkyries. The five-time All-Star discussed Reese’s approach and what it could mean for the rest of the WNBA Finals in a clip “Girls Tripp” posted Tuesday.
The Dream won 79-65 Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco, with Reese finishing with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Two days earlier, she had gone scoreless in the second half of Atlanta’s 68-64 Game 1 loss.
Kelsey Plum Praises Angel Reese’s Mentality After Game 2 Win
Plum pointed to Reese’s determination when assessing Atlanta’s response to its series-opening loss.
“Mentally, to me, she made a decision that she was going to win that game. And if you wanna get on the ship, the ship is moving. I think Angel won that game before the game was even played,” Plum said.
Reese shot 10-for-16 and went 9-for-11 at the free-throw line in 34 minutes. She also had 3 assists and 2 blocks. Allisha Gray added 18 points, while Jordin Canada finished with 13 points and 10 assists.
In Game 1, Reese scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting before halftime but missed all three of her attempts afterward and committed three turnovers. Atlanta managed just eight points in the fourth quarter.
Reese acknowledged after the loss that she needed to look for her shots more.
“I don’t think they really did anything. Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball, and trying to get the ball, and get to my spots. So definitely gonna do a better job of that next game.”
She followed through Monday, helping Atlanta even the series before it heads home.
Plum also questioned whether Golden State had anyone who could match Reese’s mentality over the remaining games.
“Now, going throughout the series, the recipe is, like, ‘Okay, Angel has now set the bar.’ Who in Golden State is gonna match that? I don’t know who’s mentally strong enough, either individually or collectively, to be able to match that for Golden State.”
Gabby Williams, who led the Valkyries with 26 points in Game 1, finished with 14 on 3-for-15 shooting Monday. Golden State committed 19 turnovers, while Atlanta recorded 14 steals and outscored the Valkyries 21-9 in the third quarter.
The Dream also held Golden State without a fast-break point while scoring 19 of their own. Atlanta went 30-for-35 at the free-throw line, compared with 11-for-16 for the Valkyries.
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, with Game 4 following Saturday at the same venue.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.