Angel Reese refused to let the Dream lose Game 2 of the WNBA Finals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a narrow loss in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Angel Reese lamented her lack of aggressiveness in a four-point defeat to the Golden State Valkyries.
Two days later, Reese rectified that passivity as the Atlanta Dream evened up the WNBA Finals.
Youngest player with a 20-point double-double, WNBA Finals history: Angel Reese - 24 years, 166 days (tonight) Cappie Pondexter - 24 years, 252 days (2007) Jonquel Jones - 25 years, 269 days (2019) https://t.co/RIHFy2Xdlu
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) October 20, 2026
Reese enjoyed a historic Game 2 at Chase Center on Monday night, when she became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to record a 20-point double-double as the Dream tied up the Finals with a 79-65 victory in San Francisco.
MORE: Dream's Angel Reese made WNBA Finals history despite Game 1 loss
Locked in from the first quarter, Reese had 15 points and seven rebounds by halftime. When the final buzzer sounded, the Defensive Player of the Year had exploded for 30 points and 16 rebounds, making her the first Dream player ever to achieve those numbers in a Finals game.
In addition, she is only the third player in Finals history to record a 30-15 game.
27 POINTS & COUNTING FOR ANGEL REESE 😮💨 She's the first player in Dream franchise history to record 25+ PTS and 10+ rebounds in a WNBA Finals game. ATL-GSV | USA Network | Peacock | #WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinals Tap to watch: https://t.co/FUPSqCIIEs https://t.co/rDYZcmlg5A
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 20, 2026
Reese shot 10-of-16 from the field and accrued three stocks. The Dream was plus-13 with Reese on the floor -- and after taking a two-point lead into the half, Atlanta outscored Golden State 40-28 in the second half to turn the Finals into a best-of-five series.
Reese's intensity on both ends set the tone for Atlanta, which led for much of Game 1 before Gabby Williams led a fourth-quarter charge to guide Golden State to a 68-64 win.
Williams struggled in Game 2, laboring to 14 points on 3-of-15 shooting as the Dream defense turned up the heat, with Reese at the center.
I mean you can’t teach what Angel Reese is doing on the court right now man.
— 𝑱𝑱 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒆 ✪ (@RedickGotNext) October 20, 2026
The Dream head home with momentum, and State Farm Arena will be raucous on Wednesday as Atlanta hosts its first WNBA Finals game since 2013.