Angel Reese delivered 30 points and 16 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream won their first game in the WNBA Finals, beating the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 in San Francisco to level the series at 1-1.
The Dream carried a 39-37 advantage into half-time and broke the game open across a 13-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters, outscoring the Valkyries 30-8. Reese scored nine of her points during that run, becoming only the third player to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, after Jonquel Jones in 2019 and Breanna Stewart in 2020.
The 24-year-old, in her first season with the Dream after being traded from the Chicago Sky, is also the youngest player to reach that landmark in a WNBA post-season match. Defensive guard Allisha Gray said: "She just came out on a mission tonight."
Reese, the league's defensive player of the year, was candid about her performance in Atlanta's 68-64 series-opening loss on Saturday. "I let my team down last game, not really contributing as much as I could in the second half," she said. "I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark."
The Dream had previously gone 0-10 in the Finals, losing 3-0 series to opponents in 2010, 2011 and 2013. The best-of-seven series now shifts to Atlanta for games three and four on 22 and 24 October.
