League Shifts Finals to Bigger Arena as Dream Lead

Angel Reese scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Wednesday night as the Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 at State Farm Arena, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Atlanta has won two straight in the series, and its latest victory came from more than one star.

The Performance

Reese added three assists and three steals, and made two key 3-pointers that helped break the game open. She became the first player in WNBA history to record a double-double in each of her first three Finals games. She also became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to post more than 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, and the only woman to record consecutive double-doubles in her first three Finals games.

In Game 2, Reese had 30 points and 16 rebounds, helping Atlanta earn its first Finals victory. She wasn't the only Dream player scoring. Five Atlanta players reached double figures. Rhyne Howard finished with 16 points and five steals, while Naz Hillmon scored 15. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 15 points, and Tiffany Hayes added 14. Janelle Salaun chipped in 11.

The Turning Point

Atlanta raced to a 9-1 lead in the first five minutes. Golden State missed its first eight shots before Aminata Gueye scored with 4:39 left in the opening quarter. The Valkyries narrowed the gap to 13-10, but Hillmon made consecutive 3-pointers, then Reese hit one of her own. Atlanta led 23-15 after one quarter and extended the margin to 37-26 midway through the second.

The first half featured a barrage of 3-pointers. The teams combined to make 15 of 31 from beyond the arc, a 48 percent rate and more made threes than either team had in the first two games. Atlanta took a 46-40 lead into halftime.

Golden State opened the third quarter with five straight points and tied the game at 48. Then Atlanta took control. The Dream scored eight straight, with four points from Reese, who ended the run with a driving layup after dribbling the length of the floor. Hayes scored on a layup to pull Golden State within 59-55, but Atlanta scored 12 of the last 14 points in the quarter and led by 14. The Dream outscored the Valkyries 25-17 in the period. Across the first three games, Atlanta has won the third quarter 63-35.

Reaction From the Bench

Coach Karl Smesko singled out the second half as the key stretch. "I'm most proud of the second half because the first few possessions were a little sloppy," he said. "I was really close to using a timeout. They pulled together on their own and got it worked out, cleaned it up themselves. They knew what mistakes they were making, and they huddled up."

Howard had the home crowd in mind. "Protect home court. Giving our fans a show," she said. "We fought for this arena so we had to protect it. It's big. We went and stole one but we can't let them come in and do the same thing."

Hayes voiced her frustration plainly. "Disappointed in our fight. This game they wanted it more than us," she said. "That's not who we are, who we've been and how we got here."

Reese, the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year, was equally direct after the final buzzer. "We feel good – we're still pissed that we lost the first game," she said. "We know how good we are; we know our identity." She added, "The job is not finished so we're going to keep going."

The Venue Shift

The league originally scheduled the game for Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream play most of their home games. It moved Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena in coordination with the Atlanta Hawks to accommodate demand. Gateway seats 3,500; State Farm holds more than 17,000. Both games sold out, with music figure Ludacris among those in the crowd. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom said he planned to attend. The Dream and State Farm Arena offered him a private suite for his protection. He declined and left the arena.

The ratings reflect the audience for the series. NBC's broadcast of Game 1 averaged 2.1 million viewers, the most ever for a first game of the Finals. Game 2 averaged 1.33 million on USA Network.

Why This Matters:

Atlanta has put itself in position to win its first WNBA title, something it hasn't achieved in three previous Finals trips. The team's most recent appearance came in 2013. That's a long wait, and one that makes every home game matter to the franchise's front office and fan base. The Dream can count on several scorers, rather than one headliner, and that gives the roster options under pressure instead of making it depend on a single player.

Golden State, in its second season after becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its debut year, now faces a championship series on the road. Its coach and players must answer for a slow start that cost them their early rhythm. For a league that depends on sold-out arenas and national audiences, moving Games 3 and 4 into a building with more than 17,000 seats shows the demand the series has drawn. Game 4 is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The result will decide whether Atlanta closes out the title at home or the Valkyries force the series back to Golden State.