Reese leads Dream to 97–71 win and 2–1 WNBA Finals lead

Atlanta Dream moved ahead in the WNBA Finals with a 97–71 victory over Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, taking a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds, with Rhyne Howard scoring 16 and Naz Hillmon adding 15. The Dream have now won two consecutive games in the series.

Golden State made a difficult start, missing their first eight shots from the field and falling 9–1 behind before Aminata Gueye scored their first basket. Atlanta finished the opening quarter 23–15 ahead, although the visitors stayed within reach before the break.

The Dream led 46–40 at half-time, but Golden State drew level at 49 early in the third quarter. Atlanta then scored eight unanswered points, four of them from Reese, to regain control of the contest.

The Valkyries reduced the gap to four points before Atlanta produced the decisive finish to the period. A 12–2 run left the Dream leading 71–57 going into the fourth quarter, turning a close game into a substantial advantage.

Golden State could not recover from that surge and the final margin grew to 26 points. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 15 points, while Tiffany Hayes contributed 14 from the bench.

Reese had also driven Atlanta's response in Game 2, when her 30 points and 16 rebounds helped secure a 79–65 victory. Her latest double-double kept the Dream moving forward after losing the series opener.

Atlanta now need two further victories for their first WNBA championship. Game 4 takes place at State Farm Arena on Saturday, 24 October, giving the Dream another home opportunity before the series returns to Golden State.

Sources

• Game 3 report — Atlanta Dream (2026-10-22)
• Game 3 report — Golden State Valkyries (2026-10-22)
• Dream take Finals lead — WSB-TV (2026-10-22)
• Finals Game 3 — The Guardian (2026-10-22)
• Game 2 report — Atlanta Dream