“Pass me the ball!” screamed Angel Reese after she scored over Kiah Stokes in the third-quarter surge that secured the 79-65 win for Dream in Game 2. Reese led the comeback effort for Atlanta as they faced a roaring Chase Center crowd at the Chase Center after losing Game 1. But beyond equalizing the series score with the Valkyries, the Bayou Barbie joined a rare WNBA club with the crème de la crème of the playoff performers. And news of her historic performance has reached the college level too, with Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin dropping a message for the young guard.
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With her Game 2 performance, Angel Reese became one of the five other WNBA players who have scored at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a single WNBA playoff game. She joined the likes of WNBA greats like Lisa Leslie, Jonquel Jones, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson. Reese also became the youngest player to achieve this milestone. The WNBA wasted no time in posting about Angel Reese’s historic achievement, and Coach Yo added her own take in an X post as Game 2 ended.
“🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 folks could NEVER make me hate Angel! I absolutely LOVE her competitiveness! Leave me open? I’m banging a 3! 🤣🤣”
Coach Yo is no stranger to Angel Reese’s game, having faced Reese’s LSU Tigers on several occasions with her team, the Ole Miss Rebels. Since taking over in 2018, Coach Yo has built Ole Miss into a competitive SEC program, though Reese’s LSU squad has dominated their matchups. McPhee-McCuin’s Rebels faced the LSU Tigers twice in the 2024 season, Reese’s final college year, and Reese handed the Rebels a loss both times.
The first game in January saw Angel Reese lead the Tigers in points (21), rebounds (9), as well as assists (4). With Reese at the helm, the Tigers won 84-73. Their second meeting was the Rebels’ final regular-season game, and Reese once again led her team with a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds, leading to a 75-67 win.
After their second loss on March 9, 2024, the Rebels’ HC Coach Yo opened up about Reese in her post-game interview.
“Angel is player of the year. I’ve said it publicly. I’ve always been a fan of the Barbie. I like tough players. She rolled her ankle, and you couldn’t tell. Everyone was like, ‘Oh, Angel rolled her ankle.’ I’m like, ‘So what? She’s playing today.’ And, look, she went out there…She’s so relentless and finds a way to…her greatest strength is her will. She missed; she goes back and gets it. She just outwills you, and they rolled her like they should.”
Coach Yo is keenly aware of the effect that Angel Reese has on a team, and her performance against the Valkyries in the last game proved that she is more than the Defensive Player of the Year.
The Dream rally behind Angel Reese for Game 2 comeback
Just as Coach Yo mentioned, Angel Reese did, in fact, make the only three-pointer she attempted all game. While opposing teams worry about her elite rebounding, they cannot discount the fact that Reese can bag three-pointers from a distance too.
The Dream rallied behind her as they led by only two points in the first half, with the score at 39-37. The first half saw Reese drop 15 points to go with seven rebounds. She was supported by Allisha Gray, who added another 11 points. But nothing compared to the Q3 pressure that the Dream applied on the Valkyries.
Atlanta scored 21 points in the third quarter, with Reese adding another nine points, four rebounds, and going 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. She shot with incredible efficiency from the field at 66.7%. Gray and Jordin Canada added three points each, while DeWanna Bonner added four points. They held the Valkyries to just nine points in Q3 as Veronica Burtan and Kaitlyn Chen became the only two to score (five and four points, respectively).
But nothing could stop Angel Reese, who finished the game with a monster 30 points and 16 rebounds, leading the game in both categories. And she seemed to know what she had achieved on the historic night, as right after the win, Reese posted a celebratory quote on X.
“DUBS IN THE M* CHAT.”
The Dream has never won a championship in the franchise’s history, having been swept in the finals in 2010, 2011, and 2013. But now, with Allisha Gray back from injury and Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Angel Reese playing their very best basketball, the Dream seem to have a legitimate shot at clinching the title this season.