Angel Reese Praised By Paige Bueckers After Historic WNBA Finals Performance in Dream's Game 2 Win

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers is happy her friend is finding so much professional success.

It just so happens that her friend is dominating the 2026 WNBA Finals on the league's biggest stage.

"I'm really happy for her," Bueckers told TMZ Sports when discussing Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese's performance in the Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.

"Me and Angel are close friends, we're great competitors, people who just want the best for each other. We've stayed in contact. Just wishing her the best, talking to her, talking basketball, talking hoops, so to see her thrive on the biggest stage, she deserves it. She works for it. Really happy for her."

Reese has been under the national spotlight since she starred at the collegiate level at LSU, and that has led to plenty of attention and scrutiny as she continues to develop her game.

"The crown that she wears is heavy, but she wears it well, and she wears it with pride," Bueckers said of her Team USA teammate. "Just to see how she handles everything with grace, just being unapologetically herself, I admire that, and so it's really great to see her hoopin!"

Dream-Valkyries Highlights

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Reese was certainly hooping during Atlanta's Game 2 win over the Valkyries on Monday.

She helped lead the franchise to its first-ever WNBA Finals victory and made some history in the process by joining Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones as the only players to finish with 30 or more points and 15 or more rebounds in a Finals game.

The three-time All-Star did a little bit of everything on her way to 30 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. That she was so effective on defense is anything but surprising seeing how she was this season's Defensive Player of the Year, but she also got out in transition, scored on the blocks and extended her offensive attack to beyond the arc.

The series is tied at one game apiece as a result, but the Dream now have home-court advantage after splitting the first two in Golden State.

And they could end up lifting the trophy if Reese continues to play at such a high level.