Angel Reese delivered another statement performance on the biggest stage, posting 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream demolished the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at a sold-out State Farm Arena. The win — the eighth-largest margin of victory in WNBA Finals history — gives Atlanta a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 set for Saturday at the same venue.
Angel Reese (Credits: ESPN)
Third-Quarter Takeover
With the game deadlocked at 49-all in the third quarter, the Dream ripped off an 8-0 run — four points from Reese — to seize control. Golden State briefly cut the gap to 59-55 on a Tiffany Hayes layup, but Atlanta closed the quarter on a 12-2 run and never looked back. The Dream have now outscored the Valkyries 63-35 in the third quarter across the first three games of the series.
Reese shot 7-for-12 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three-point range, adding 3 steals and 3 assists in 34 minutes. It was her second straight monster outing following her 30-point, 16-rebound night in Game 2 — the franchise’s first-ever Finals win. Through three games, she’s averaging 21.7 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 56.4% from the field.
Support Cast Steps Up
Rhyne Howard added 16 points, Naz Hillmon had 15, and Jordin Canada chipped in 10 points and 8 assists. Off the bench, Isobel Borlase provided a big lift with 12 points. Atlanta’s defense held Golden State to 35% shooting and forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 22 points.
For the Valkyries, Gabby Williams led with 15 points, while Tiffany Hayes added 14. The crowd included music stars like Ludacris, as the series shifted to State Farm Arena — which seats over 17,000 — after originally being slated for the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.