Angel Reese delivered a historic 30-point, 16-rebound Game 2 WNBA Finals performance to give Atlanta its first Finals win after fans blasted her body language in Game 1 against Golden State

Angel Reese may or may not have heard the talk about her "quitting" on the Atlanta Dream early in the WNBA Finals, but by Game 2 she answered with a performance that spoke for itself and tied the series.

After her previous body language sparked controversy, the Dream star turned frustration into Finals history. Atlanta beat the Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night for the franchise's first WNBA Finals win, with Reese adding 30 points and 16 rebounds despite again showing frustration with her teammates.

The win tied the series 1-1 and set up Game 3 in Atlanta. Reese’s bounce-back came after Game 1, when some fans accused her of quitting during a tense moment in the paint.

Game 2 saw Reese denied entry passes into the post twice by her perimeter teammates, with the game tied midway through the third quarter.

Reese signaled for the ball twice, didn't get it, then walked out of the paint frustrated as Allisha Gray threw up a prayer with the shot clock winding down.

The criticism began during Saturday's 68-64 loss, when Reese appeared visibly frustrated as Atlanta's offense stalled.

With seven seconds left and Atlanta down two, Reese dropped her arms and walked away after the Valkyries grabbed a rebound.

That moment fueled questions about her effort after Reese scored all 14 of her Game 1 points before halftime and took just two shots after the break.

A fan on X wrote, "Angel Reese, you cannot have that 2nd half body language. You cannot shrink yourself and self-defeat and be so lackadaisical."

Reese was too passive, Smesko said Atlanta didn't give her enough touches, and Golden State's pressure also mattered.

They got just that Monday after Reese had 15 points and seven rebounds by halftime despite picking up her third foul in the second quarter.

The Dream star refused to let early whistles limit her impact and kept dominating on both ends after the game was tied at 42 in the third.

Atlanta ran 18-4 to outscore the Valkyries 21-9 in the quarter. Reese scored nine in that stretch alone. She shot 10-for-16, hit 9-of-11 free throws, and added 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.

She's the third player in a WNBA Finals game to reach those numbers, joining champions Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

The Dream forward became the youngest Finals player with a 20-point double-double to pass Cappie Pondexter. She's also the first Dream player to score 25 points and grab 10 rebounds in a Finals game.

Allisha Gray scored 18, Jordin Canada had 13 points and 10 assists, and Gabby Williams, who scored 26 in Game 1, managed only 14 on 3-for-15 shooting as Golden State’s offense fell apart.