James gave the Reds a first-half lead with a well-struck finish, while Amy Turner had a goal chalked off for offside.
Mary Earps produced a fine save to deny Fara Williams from the penalty spot after the interval, but the keeper wasn’t able to stop the England veteran a second time, as the Royals were awarded another spot kick for a Katie Zelem handball in the closing stages, which meant that the points were shared.
After a narrow defeat to Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Continental League Cup in midweek, Casey Stoney made two changes to her starting XI.