The Dream beat Golden State 97-71 Wednesday at a sold-out State Farm Arena to lead the WNBA Finals 2-1. Game 4 is 1 p.m. Saturday downtown on NBC and Peacock.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals. The game was played before a sold-out crowd at State Farm Arena downtown, the Dream said in its game recap.
The Dream are two wins from the franchise’s first WNBA title. Game 4 is at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the same arena.
How the game went
Atlanta led 23-15 after the first quarter and 46-40 at halftime. A 12-2 run to close the third quarter put the Dream up 71-57, and they outscored Golden State 26-14 in the fourth, according to the team’s recap.
The Dream shot 49% from the field and held the Valkyries to 34.8%. Atlanta forced 17 turnovers and scored 22 points off them.
The Dream’s scorers in double figures:
- Angel Reese: 21 points and 12 rebounds
- Rhyne Howard: 16 points
- Naz Hillmon: 15 points
- Izzy Borlase: 12 points
- Jordin Canada: 10 points and eight assists
Reese has had a double-double in all three Finals games. The Dream said she is the youngest player in league history to do that in three straight Finals games. Howard became the first player with at least five steals in consecutive Finals games, the team said.
For Golden State, Gabby Williams scored 15 points with eight assists and Tiffany Hayes added 14 off the bench, the Valkyries said in their recap.
“We’re only halfway home,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said, in remarks published by the team.
“Our fans showed up in every single possession,” Reese said.
The series so far
The Finals are a best-of-seven series.
| Game | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 17, at Golden State | Valkyries 68, Dream 64 |
| 2 | at Golden State | Dream won, the franchise’s first Finals win |
| 3 | Oct. 21, State Farm Arena | Dream 97, Valkyries 71 |
Reese had 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2, according to the league’s Game 3 recap. The league said Atlanta has outscored Golden State 63-35 in third quarters across the three games.
What comes next
The remaining games, from the Dream’s playoff schedule:
| Game | Date and time (ET) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m. | State Farm Arena, Atlanta (NBC and Peacock) |
| 5 | Monday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. | Golden State |
| 6, if needed | Thursday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m. | Atlanta |
| 7, if needed | To be set | Golden State |
Games 3 and 4 were moved from the Dream’s usual home, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, about nine miles southwest. The Dream and the Atlanta Hawks announced the move in a joint statement on Oct. 13. The league said Gateway Center seats 3,500.
What it means for you
- Saturday is a doubleheader downtown. The Dream tip off at 1 p.m. The Hawks open their home season against the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. in the same building, according to the joint statement. Expect a busy day around State Farm Arena and allow extra time. Check road closures before you go.
- Game 4 is sold out, the league said. Resale tickets are listed through the arena’s event page; buy only through the arena or the team.
- To watch: Game 4 airs on NBC and streams on Peacock, according to the Valkyries’ game schedule. The Dream list official watch parties around the city on their playoff page.
- A title could come Monday in Golden State if the Dream win Saturday and Game 5.
For more on the weekend, see things to do in Atlanta this weekend.
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