Angel Reese leads Dream to first WNBA Finals win with 30 points and 16 rebounds

Angel Reese wanted to leave her mark on Game 2. She delivered a performance that gave the Atlanta Dream their first WNBA Finals victory.

Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Atlanta beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 on Monday, tying the series at one game apiece.

"I let my team down last game, not really contributing as much as I could in the second half," Reese said. "I wanted to make sure that I came out tonight and left my mark and do what I could to win, and I think I did that tonight."

Allisha Gray added 18 points, and Jordin Canada finished with 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Rhyne Howard set a WNBA Finals single-game record with six steals. 

Atlanta led 39-37 at halftime before taking control with a 21-9 third quarter. The Dream carried a 60-46 advantage into the fourth and led by as many as 21 points.

Reese shot 10-of-16 from the field and made 9 of 11 free throws. She became the youngest player in WNBA history to record a double-double with at least 20 points in the Finals and the first Dream player with consecutive Finals double-doubles.

"We feed off her energy," Canada said. "She was talking to us the whole game, keeping us confident."

Atlanta's defense helped make up for another difficult shooting night. The Dream shot 33.9% but collected 14 steals and forced 19 turnovers, turning those mistakes into 24 points. Atlanta also outscored Golden State 19-0 on fast breaks.

Coach Karl Smesko said the Dream focused on correcting defensive breakdowns, rebounding and improving their offense after reviewing film.

"Even though we didn't shoot it great again, our shot quality was better, our pace was better," Smesko said. "I thought the players did a great job taking from film, taking what we emphasized and then making it a reality on the floor. All the credit to them."

Atlanta made 30 of 35 free throws and held a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points.

Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams scored 14 points apiece for Golden State. Veronica Burton added 11, while Kiah Stokes had 11 rebounds and four blocks.

The series now shifts to Atlanta for Game 3.