ATLANTA – Angel Reese helped the Atlanta Dream win a WNBA Finals game for the first time Monday. Two nights later, she helped them take their first lead in a Finals series.

ATLANTA DREAM, GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WNBA FINALS GAME

Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, taking a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Reese has totaled 51 points and 28 rebounds in Atlanta’s two victories.

Reese became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, joining A’ja Wilson as the only players to accomplish the feat.

And to give the Dream and their fans credit, I previously questioned whether Atlanta could fill State Farm Arena for the Finals. They answered that with a resounding yes on Wednesday night. Game 3 was a sellout, and the building was loud.

Before tip-off, both teams again left the court for the national anthem, marking their third straight absence in the series. They returned moments after the performance ended. The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem, and the league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the absences.

Once the game started, Reese picked up where she left off in San Francisco. She scored Atlanta’s first basket and finished the opening quarter with eight points, including a three-pointer that pushed the Dream’s lead to 22–12.

Golden State missed its first eight shots and didn’t make a field goal until 4:38 remained in the first quarter. Atlanta led 23–15 after one.

WNBA ANTHEM CONTROVERSY SPARKS CALLS TO BAR PLAYERS WHO DON'T STAND FROM TEAM USA OLYMPIC ROSTER

Reese added another three in the second quarter and went into halftime with 15 points, matching her first-half total from Game 2. Naz Hillmon made three first-half threes of her own, helping Atlanta take a 46–40 lead into the break.

The Valkyries made a push to start the third. Cecilia Zandalasini hit two threes in the opening 68 seconds, and Golden State tied the game at 48, then again at 49.

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!

Reese helped Atlanta answer. After Rhyne Howard put the Dream back in front, Reese made two free throws, assisted on an Isobel Borlase layup and scored on a running layup herself. That completed an 8–0 run and gave Atlanta a 57–49 lead.

Golden State cut the deficit to four, but the Dream kept scoring after Reese went to the bench with 3:31 left in the quarter. DeWanna Bonner hit a three to start a 12–2 finish to the period, scoring five points during that stretch.

ANGEL REESE DOMINATES GAME 2 AS ATLANTA DREAM EVEN WNBA FINALS WITH GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES

Atlanta led 71–57 entering the fourth and Golden State never really threatened in the final period.

Hillmon finished with 15 points, while Jordin Canada added 8 assists. Rhyne Howard had her best offensive performance of the series, scoring 16 points.

Atlanta again held down Golden State’s Gabby Williams, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

Atlanta entered these Finals without a win in its three previous appearances, then lost Saturday’s opener. Now Reese and the Dream are two victories from a championship.

Game 4 is Saturday at State Farm Arena.

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals. Now Riley Gaines is arguing that those decisions should carry consequences when athletes seek to represent the United States internationally.

Gaines initially weighed in while sharing OutKick’s video of the Game 2 anthem absence.

"It’s my personal opinion that if you kneel for the flag and what it represents, you shouldn’t be able to represent the USA at the Olympics," Gaines wrote on X.

DREAM, VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM IN WNBA FINALS GAME 2 DESPITE RULEBOOK REQUIREMENT

In a statement to OutKick, Gaines expanded her argument to players who leave the court to avoid the anthem.

"The American flag and our national anthem do not represent whichever political party or administration happens to be in power. They represent the American people, our shared identity, the freedoms we enjoy, and the generations of men and women who fought, sacrificed and died to preserve those freedoms," Gaines said.

"Players who leave the court specifically to avoid the national anthem are making a deliberate statement. They are free to do so, of course. Free speech includes the freedom to withhold respect."

"But I’m of the mind that choice has consequences when the same athletes later seek the honor of representing the United States on the international stage."

Neither Finals team nor the WNBA has answered OutKick’s questions about the anthem absences. Nor has the NBA, whose commissioner, Adam Silver, is helping lead the search for the WNBA’s next commissioner.

NBA STAYS SILENT ON WNBA FINALS TEAMS SKIPPING NATIONAL ANTHEM IN GAMES 1 AND 2

Gaines said patriotism does not require blind allegiance to a political party or pretending America is without flaws. But she argued that athletes seeking to represent the country should be judged on how they treat its anthem.

"If an athlete treats standing for the anthem as optional or objectionable during the WNBA season, it is reasonable to question whether they are prepared to accept the full weight of representing the country when the spotlight is global," she said.

Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones called Tuesday for players from both teams to lose their eligibility to represent the United States in Olympic basketball.

Jones wrote that those players "should be ineligible to play on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team."

Atlanta’s Team USA connection includes Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard

Reese and Howard were both named to Team USA’s 2026 Women’s World Cup roster. The Dream announced their selections in August, noting that they became the first two players in franchise history selected together for the United States at a five-on-five Women’s World Cup or Olympics.

Golden State had no players on that U.S. World Cup roster, but Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase served as a U.S. assistant coach. Golden State star Gabby Williams represents France.

Both Reese and Howard stood for the national anthem while representing the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s World Cup.

AMERICA'S WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EPIC REACHES CLIMAX WITH NATIONAL UNITY ON THE LINE IN FIBA WORLD CUP FINAL

But representing the United States internationally comes with an extra responsibility to show respect for the country at home.

And that responsibility doesn't disappear when the USA jersey comes off and the WNBA jersey goes on. Staying off the court while the anthem plays during the WNBA Finals falls short of the standard we should expect from athletes entrusted with representing this country.

Sage Steele warns anthem absences could drive fans away

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also criticized the league in a social media video.

Steele accused the WNBA’s players, coaches and leadership of disrespecting the country by leaving the court for the anthem.

"So are they free to express themselves the way they want? Absolutely. But there’s a cost to it," Steele said.

"And I just hope they realize that this constant lack of respect is going to turn fans away forever. They’re not going to come back, and it’s going to be their own fault," Steele added.

Players are free to express themselves, but as Steele noted, that freedom can come with a price. We're not calling for the players to be jailed.

The First Amendment limits the government’s power to restrict speech, but it doesn’t require fans to support those choices or critics to stay quiet. We have the right to express our disapproval, too.

WNBA rulebook calls for an anthem lineup

Both Finals teams were off the floor during the anthem before Saturday’s opener and Monday’s Game 2 at Chase Center. In both games, the players returned within seconds of the performance ending.

The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook includes a provision calling for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.

OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

OutKick contacted the WNBA and both teams after Game 1, followed up Sunday and again Tuesday. The inquiries sought explanations for the absences, clarification of the league’s anthem requirements and the teams’ plans for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Atlanta.

Those questions remain unanswered.

For Gaines, the responsibility goes beyond a WNBA pregame routine.

"Wearing the USA jersey is not a private entitlement that comes with athletic success. It is a public responsibility," she said.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark clearly needs better teammates, so she is officially teaming up with THE Cookie Monster.

In her latest off-court venture, the WNBA superstar debuted a new Xfinity commercial, joining forces with Sesame Street's most chaotic blue icon on a mission to bake the "Greatest Cookie of All Time."

Honestly, a frantic puppet addicted to baked goods would still provide more spacing on the floor than what Clark dealt with all season. Hard to blame the girl for looking outside the locker room.

WATCH:

It is easily the best sports crossover with a fuzzy mascot since Grimace saved the Mets' season. The commercial leans straight into the "two GOATs" dynamic: Clark, who shattered every TV rating in WNBA history, and Cookie Monster, hunting down pastry perfection.

While Angel Reese is grinding for a title in the WNBA Finals, Clark is clocking offseason commercial shifts. Between her $28 million Nike bag, a Wilson basketball line and spots for Gatorade and State Farm, corporate suits cannot get enough of her. Now she added Xfinity to the pile, playing baker next to a literal felt puppet. Electric.

CAITLIN CLARK PASSES LEBRON JAMES IN JERSEY SALES, FURTHER EXPOSING WNBA'S MARKETING PROBLEM

Clark just wrapped up a frustrating postseason run that ended with the Fever getting eliminated by A'ja Wilson and the powerhouse Las Vegas Aces.

Advertisers know something the WNBA has yet to crack: anything Clark touches brings eyeballs. Now she's getting paid a fortune to hang out with a childhood icon. Not bad work if you can get it.

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!

Caitlin's fans were hyped for the new ad:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

SAN FRANCISCO – Angel Reese started Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with 11 points in the first quarter, then went the rest of the afternoon without making another field goal. In Game 2, she gave the Atlanta Dream considerably more than a good start.

Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Chase Center, evening the best-of-seven series at 1-1. She added 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.

She became the youngest player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game.

DREAM, VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM IN WNBA FINALS GAME 2 DESPITE RULEBOOK REQUIREMENT

It took four trips to the Finals for the Dream to finally win a game. Atlanta was swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013, then lost Saturday’s opener to fall to 0-10 in championship series games. Reese helped put an end to that streak with one of the best games of her career.

But before tipoff, there was another national anthem controversy. Both teams again stayed off the court for the anthem, leaving the floor just before the start of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and returning seconds after Alanis Morissette finished her performance.

The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the teams’ absences.

Once the game began, Reese attacked the basket and kept giving Atlanta offense. She scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the second, giving her 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first half. Those 15 points represented one more than she scored in all of Game 1.

ANGEL REESE IS IN THE WNBA FINALS, BUT HER CHICAGO EXIT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HER WINNING MENTALITY

Reese’s strong night still included a brief tantrum early in the third quarter. With the game tied at 40, she stomped her feet after not getting the ball and walked away while Atlanta’s possession continued, taking herself out of position to pursue an offensive rebound. That’s a bad look in a Finals game.

To Reese's credit, she didn't let one bad moment define her night. She followed the outburst with a block on Tiffany Hayes, then later finished through contact against Kiah Stokes and completed the three-point play.

Cameras showed Reese yelling "Give me the f-----g ball!" after the and-1 bucket.

Reese finished with nine third-quarter points, matching Golden State’s entire output.

The Valkyries never made Reese pay for entering the second half with three fouls. She stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter without picking up another one, while Golden State kept firing jump shots and failed to get to the free-throw line.

Both teams made four field goals in the third quarter, including one three-pointer apiece. Atlanta went 12-for-12 at the foul line. Golden State didn’t attempt a free throw. This wasn't a case of a one-way whistle, either; Golden State routinely settled for outside shots rather than attacking the paint.

OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Dream took a 60-46 lead into the fourth, and the advantage reached 21 with just over six minutes remaining.

Reese added six points in the fourth quarter, including a 24-foot three-pointer that put Atlanta ahead 74-55 with 4:15 remaining.

The series moves to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday.