Atlanta Dream Take 2-1 Finals Lead Behind Reese

The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Dream won before a sold-out crowd in a larger venue than the arena where they play most home games.

Reese Sets Finals Marks

Reese added three assists and three steals, hit two key 3-pointers and 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 record 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.

Her 21-point night followed a 30-point, 16-rebound showing in Game 2, which Atlanta won for its first Finals victory. Reese was one of five Dream players to score in double figures. Rhyne Howard had 16 points and five steals, while Naz Hillmon scored 15. Janelle Salaun scored 11 for Golden State; Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 15 points, and Tiffany Hayes added 14.

Atlanta opened with a 9-1 lead after five minutes. Golden State missed its first eight shots before Aminata Gueye scored with 4:39 left in the first quarter. The Valkyries cut the margin to 13-10, but Hillmon sank back-to-back 3-pointers, then Reese added one. Atlanta led 23-15 after the quarter and pushed its advantage to 37-26 midway through the second.

The teams made 15 of 31 attempts from 3-point range in the first half, a combined 48%. They made more 3-pointers than in either Game 1 or Game 2. Atlanta led 46-40 at halftime, with Reese at 15 points and Salaun at 11 for Golden State.

A Venue Shift for the Finals

The game had originally been scheduled for Thursday at Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream play most of their home games. The league worked with the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena to move Games 3 and 4 to the larger venue. Gateway Center Arena seats 3,500; State Farm Arena can seat more than 17,000.

Game 3 sold out. So did Game 4, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Music stars, including Ludacris, were in the crowd. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom said he planned to attend. The Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena offered him a private suite for his protection; he declined and left the arena.

Atlanta Pulls Away After the Break

Golden State scored the first five points after halftime and tied the game at 48-48 early in the third quarter. At 49-49, Atlanta rattled off eight straight points, including four from Reese, who finished the run with a driving layup. The Valkyries got within 59-55 on Hayes' layup, but Atlanta scored 12 of the quarter’s final 14 points and took a 14-point lead.

The Dream outscored Golden State 25-17 in the third. Across the series’ first three games, Atlanta has outscored the Valkyries 63-35 in that quarter. In the fourth, Atlanta led by 17 when Jordin Canada overthrew Reese on a break. Reese saved the ball, tossing it over her head beneath the basket to Howard, who drew a foul. Atlanta later stretched the lead to 21 and held on for the win.

Reese left with 1:36 remaining and cheered from the bench. After Madina Okot made a skyhook, Reese grinned and pinched her fingers together. Earlier, she drove to the basket and made a layup against Gueye, then yelled what appeared to be an expletive toward the Valkyries bench and chest-bumped teammate Allisha Gray.

“We feel good – we're still pissed that we lost the first game. We know how good we are; we know our identity,” Reese said after the game. She added: “We're all happy for sure, but it's going to take more. The job isn't finished, so we're going to keep going.”

Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said the team recovered from a sloppy start to the second half without him using a timeout. Howard said, “Protect home court. Giving our fans a show. We fought for this arena so we had to protect it.” Hayes said, “Disappointed in our fight. This game they wanted it more than us.” Both teams seek their first WNBA title. Atlanta's most recent prior Finals appearance was in 2013, while the Valkyries are competing for the title in their second season.