Overview
- The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday to move ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven Finals.
- Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds, marking her third straight double-double in the Finals and making her the youngest player to record consecutive 20/10 Finals games and three straight double-doubles.
- Reese repeatedly taunted Valkyries players on the court and from the bench, a visible psychological factor that Atlanta used to build a decisive second-half run while the Dream shot about 49 percent as a team.
- Golden State labored with matchup and rotation problems, coach Natalie Nakase called the performance “undisciplined,” and Nakase was assessed a technical in Game 3 that counts as her first postseason tech and carries a $500 fine under the WNBA’s updated penalty structure.
- The series shifts back to Atlanta for Game 4 on Oct. 24 with the Dream two wins away from their first title and the Valkyries needing tactical changes, especially tighter defensive matchups on Reese, to avoid falling further behind.