Dream's Angel Reese made WNBA Finals history despite Game 1 loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It didn't end how she wanted, but Angel Reese made history in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Reese logged a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double in Game 1 of the Finals at Chase Center on Saturday, though the Atlanta Dream lost to the Golden State Valkyries in the opener to what surely will be a lengthy series.
MORE: Valkyries have one big concern after WNBA Finals Game 1 win over Dream
But even in a 68-64 loss, Reese -- at 24 years and 164 days old -- became the youngest center in WNBA history to record a double-double in her Finals debut.
Angel Reese is the youngest center ever to record a double-double in their Finals debut. https://t.co/gxMzCwYYxJ
— Real App (@realapp) October 17, 2026
Reese was outstanding in her first half of Finals basketball. The Defensive Player of the Year scored 11 points in the first quarter, and Atlanta led going into the fourth quarter of Game 1.
But Reese struggled mightily in the second half, where she scored zero points on 0-of-3 shooting. She finished the game with five fouls to go with her double-double.
Asked if the Valkyries did anything specific to knock her off-course, Reese flatly denied that the Golden State defense had anything to do with her second-half struggles.
"I wasn't aggressive enough with the ball," Reese said after Game 1. "Definitely gonna do a better job of that next game."
Angel Reese on not taking a lot of shot attempts in the 2nd half: "I wasn't aggressive enough with the ball...definitely gonna do a better job of that next game" https://t.co/3ikrLV5MyO
— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 17, 2026
The Dream certainly will hope that's the case in Game 2 -- and if it is, Atlanta will have a great chance to even up the series in San Francisco.