Aangel Reese presented one of his greatest performances History of the WNBA FinalsHe leads with 30 points and 16 rebounds The Atlanta Dream won a 79-65 victory over Golden State Valkyries Monday night, evening best of seven championships series 1-1.
Allisha Gray added 18 points, while Jordin Canada had a near triple-double with 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. On the defensive side, Raine Howard Atlanta set a new WNBA Finals record with six steals as it beat Golden State after halftime.
Angel Reese goes from WNBA Finals glory to an upset finish
The win was historic for The Dream, the first in franchise history WNBA Finals a win after losing three of their previous 10 Finals games. Atlanta is now heading home fast after falling apart in front of Golden State’s sold-out Ballhalla crowd at the Chase Center.
“It’s hard to play in this environment. Shout out to the fans. Cheer for my team though.” Reese said. “We came and fought. Game 1 was tough for us, but we kept going.”
Reese also became the third player in WNBA Finals history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game.connection Jonquel Jones (2019) and Breanna Stewart (2020).
“He was definitely more aggressive. He had a great game.” Valkyries center Kiah Stokes admitted. “We let everyone choose their own path.”
Wednesday’s Game 3 shifts to Atlanta, where the next two Finals games will be played at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Hawks, which allows for more than 17,000 fans instead of the Dream’s usual 3,500-seat venue.
Golden State never found its rhythm offensively. Gabby Williams The Valkyries led by 14 points, but shot 3-for-15 after shooting 26 in Game 1. As a team, the Valkyries shot 34.4% from the field and 7-of-24 from the arc.
“We opened a terrible fire” said guard Veronica Burton. “We missed the shots we always did.”
After going scoreless in the second half of Game 1, Reese responded with a dominant all-around performance, shooting 10-for-16 from the field while adding three assists and two blocks.
“We watched the film and saw what we messed up” Reese said. “When they said they weren’t doing anything to mess us up, we literally were. You can see that tonight. We’re going to take it to Atlanta. Atlanta, you better get on your feet — I’m looking forward to it.”
Atlanta’s defense proved the difference, forcing 19 turnovers and turning them into 24 points, a dramatic improvement from the eight turnovers the Dream managed. Game 1. The win also handed the Valkyries their first regulation loss since Aug. 21 and snapped one of the league’s hottest streaks on the biggest stage.