Key Takeaways
- Angel Reese helped the Atlanta Dream take the WNBA Finals lead over the Golden State Valkyries.
- The forward became the first player with double-doubles in her first three Finals games.
- Reese said her confidence and energy are contagious as Atlanta pursues its first championship.
Angel Reese is putting up big numbers and making sure her teammates feel every bit as confident as she does.
On Wednesday (Oct. 21), the Atlanta Dream forward delivered 21 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 97-71 victory over the Golden State Valkyries. The home win gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals and moved the franchise closer to its first championship. Reese also became the first player in league history to record a double-double in each of her first three Finals appearances.
Following the victory, the 24-year-old opened up about the mentality she's carried throughout the season and why lifting her teammates' spirits matters regardless of her performance. “No matter [how] my shots are falling, I just want to make sure I bring energy, and hopefully they can say the same, but every day I just want to be able to come in every day and just pour into everybody, bring the energy, bring the morale, because I think it's contagious. When you have a mentality that started from me, where I'm hype all the time, and bringing the confidence into everybody, like… Y'all not taking this from us,” she said.
For Reese, that determination goes beyond her individual contributions. She wants the entire roster to share the same hunger for a championship. “In my heart, like, I'm not letting you take this from us, and it becomes contagious within the team. Like, they feel that confidence too. So that's kind of been my mindset throughout the entire season, just being able to want it more than anybody else.”
Angel Reese sets multiple records in her first WNBA Finals
The Maryland native has made quite an impression in her first WNBA Finals appearance. She collected 14 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 before putting up 30 points and 16 boards in Game 2. According to WNBA Communications, she's also the youngest player in Finals history to post at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, joining A'ja Wilson as the only players to accomplish that feat.
It's another milestone in a career that began with the Chicago Sky. After two seasons with the franchise, Reese was traded to Atlanta in April 2026 in exchange for two first-round picks. Earlier this month, she also made history as the first Dream player to win the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Now, the Dream will look to extend their series lead when Game 4 tips off Saturday (Oct. 24) at 1 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena.