Just 48 hours after a devastating defeat, the Atlanta Dream completely flipped the script. The Dream opened their first WNBA Finals since 2013 with a 68-64 loss, as Angel Reese went scoreless in the second half of Game 1, Jordin Canada was limited to just 8 points, and veteran DeWanna Bonner finished with only two.
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However, on Monday, Reese made it clear she was ready to make up for her shortcomings from the series opener, as the 24-year-old broke a losing streak Atlanta has been trying to move past since 2010.
In a Chase Center packed with star power, including Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Yaxel Lendeborg, the Dream forward helped lead Atlanta to a 79-65 win to even the Finals series at 1-1. So from Reese’s historic night to an ongoing national anthem controversy, here are some takeaways from the Dream’s statement win over Golden State.
Angel Reese Makes History as Dream Snap 10-Game Finals Losing Streak
If there was one player who stood out the most on Monday night, it was Angel Reese. In 34 minutes on the court, Reese exploded for 30 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks to help the Atlanta Dream secure a 14-point win over the Golden State Valkyries.
Her performance put her alongside Jonquel Jones, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson as the only players with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game. At 24, she is the youngest of the six to reach that mark, according to the WNBA. It also helped Atlanta claim its first Finals win, ending a 10-game losing streak in the championship series.
The Finals list is even shorter. Only Jones, with Connecticut in 2019, and Stewart, with Seattle in 2020, had previously recorded at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a championship-series game. Reese also set a separate age record: at 24 years and 166 days, she became the youngest player to finish a WNBA Finals game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, according to ESPN.
Those milestones followed a frustrating series opener. Reese finished Game 1 with 14 points and 12 rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting, but went scoreless after halftime as Atlanta lost 68-64. She attempted just two shots in the second half, leaving her determined to make a greater impact in Monday’s rematch.
Afterward, Reese acknowledged that she had not been aggressive enough in getting the ball and establishing her position. But scoring was not the only part of her game she wanted to improve.
“For me, I think I let my team down last game not really contributing as much as I could in the second half,” she said. “So I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark and did whatever I could to get the win, and I think I did that tonight.”
That response started early. Reese scored 15 points in the first half of Game 2, then added another 15 after the break, giving Atlanta the sustained production it had missed in the opener. During a halftime interview, she made it clear that she was not satisfied with her previous performance, saying:
“I left a lot of points on the board last time, so I gotta make up for it.”
She delivered on that promise, even with Kiah Stokes bringing the heat defensively and making life difficult for her. She continued to find ways to contribute, powering Atlanta to a much-needed victory and helping the franchise put an end to a painful Finals streak.
Atlanta first reached the championship series in 2010, where the team faced the Seattle Storm but lost all three games. Then, the Dream returned the following year hoping to change their fortunes, only to suffer another sweep, this time against the Minnesota Lynx. Their third trip to the Finals came in 2013, and Minnesota once again denied them a championship, completing another 3-0 series win.
So after dropping Game 1 of the ongoing Finals, Atlanta’s losing streak in the championship series reached 10 consecutive games. But this win finally helped Atlanta break free from a Finals curse that had followed the franchise for years.
However, the night wasn’t without its fair share of trouble for the young star.
Valkyries Rookie and Angel Reese Get Into Altercation
Slowing Reese down proved difficult for Golden State, and Natalie Nakase turned to French rookie Aminata Gueye late in the first quarter. Gueye checked in with 1:56 remaining, but her brief matchup with the Dream forward quickly became heated.
The two exchanged words after Gueye fouled Reese with 1:04 left. Reese made both free throws to cut Golden State’s lead to 19-18, then blocked Gueye’s layup on the next possession. Gueye returned to the bench with 35.9 seconds remaining and did not play again.
At one point, the exchange appeared to spill over into a war of words. And while the exact conversation remains unclear, some believed Gueye called Reese a “flopper,” prompting the Dream star to fire back with a blunt response that, according to Fullcourt Pass on X, was, “You can’t f*** with me, bum a**.”
Reese said that while taking her free throws after a shooting foul on Gueye. She made both attempts to cut Golden State’s lead to 19-18 with 1:04 remaining in the first quarter.
On Golden State’s next possession, Reese backed up her words by blocking Gueye’s layup with 53.5 seconds left, then collecting the defensive rebound. Gueye returned to the bench with 35.9 seconds remaining and did not play again, finishing with one rebound and no points in her brief appearance.
Dream and Valkyries Repeat National Anthem Walkout Despite Game 1 Backlash
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were again off the court during the national anthem before Monday’s Game 2, drawing further criticism after their absence during Saturday’s series opener.
However, Golden State said it was following the same pregame routine it has used since joining the WNBA in 2025. Atlanta has also left the floor before the anthem for several years, according to the Associated Press. Neither team introduced the practice during these Finals.
The routine extends beyond the two franchises. AP reported that many WNBA teams have remained off the court during the anthem for years, either to raise awareness of social justice issues or to continue their pregame preparations. That history does not establish either team’s current motivation.
Although the rulebook says players, coaches and trainers should “stand and line up in a dignified posture” during the anthem, AP reported that the league suspended those protocols in 2017 following racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The written provision alone therefore does not establish that either team committed a violation.
The WNBA did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment about its anthem policy. The reporting did not establish a formal violation or announced disciplinary action against either team.
Dream’s Foul Trouble Nearly Overshadows Historic Night
In Game 1, several fans pointed to the officials’ handling of fouls, particularly after Angel Reese was caught on camera hitting Gabby Williams in the face before doing the same to Veronica Burton on the very next possession. However, Game 2 brought a different concern for Atlanta, as two of its key players came dangerously close to fouling out.
Officials called two personal fouls on Rhyne Howard just five minutes into the game. She then picked up her third within the opening seconds of the second quarter before committing her fourth with a little over six minutes left in the first half.
Angel Reese also finished with five fouls, which left her just one away from fouling out. Both of them, however, managed to stay out of further trouble, while Howard, after her fourth, went on to record six steals, setting a WNBA Finals series game record.
With the series now tied at 1-1, the Dream and Valkyries will meet again on Wednesday, October 21, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Playing in front of their home crowd, Atlanta will look to build on its Game 2 momentum while keeping its foul trouble under control.