Paige Bueckers Says Angel Reese Deserves Her Flowers After Dominant WNBA Finals Game

Paige Bueckers says Angel Reese deserves ALL the acclaim she's receiving ... after a dominant performance in game 2 of the WNBA Finals!

"I'm really happy for her. 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," the 2x WNBA All-Star told TMZ Sports at LAX on Wednesday.

Bueckers continued ... "The crown that she wears is heavy, but she wears it well, and she wears it with pride. 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!"

24-year-old Reese's stat line didn't look bad (14 points and 12 rebounds) after Game 1, but truth is, Angel struggled in the second half, going scoreless in the Valkyries' win.

Game 2 was a totally different story -- Reese dominated -- scoring 30 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and blocking 2 shots.

It was a masterclass ... and Paige, previously Team USA teammates with AR, is clearly impressed.

Bueckers didn't pick a series winner, but says she hopes it goes 7 games.

She did, however, turn the tables on our photog Jake, asking him for a prediction.