Dream beat Valkyries 80-69 at State Farm Arena to force WNBA finals' first Game 7
Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 at State Farm Arena on Thursday in Game 6 of the WNBA finals, leveling the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and forcing the first Game 7 in WNBA history, which is scheduled for Saturday night in San Francisco.
The teams remain deadlocked in the extended finals format adopted by the league last year, with both clubs still hunting their first championship. The series now heads back to Golden State after six games: Sat 17 Oct Game 1: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64; Mon 19 Oct Game 2: Atlanta 79, Golden State 65; Wed 21 Oct Game 3: Atlanta 97, Golden State 71; Sat 24 Oct Game 4: Golden State 67, Atlanta 62; Mon 26 Oct Game 5: Golden State 64, Atlanta 55; Thu 29 Oct Game 6: Atlanta 80, Golden State 69; Sat 31 Oct Game 7: Atlanta at Golden State, 8pm (USA/CNBC). In the US the series will air on NBC, USA Network and CNBC and stream on Peacock; in the UK it will be carried by Sky Sports; in Australia it will be available via WNBA League Pass with selected coverage on ESPN.
Atlanta opened aggressively and dominated the early stages, scoring 32 points in the first quarter while making 11 of their first 15 shots and shooting 73.3% in that period; the Dream also buried six three-pointers in the opening burst and built a lead that swelled to 25 points before half-time. The Dream maintained control after the interval and repelled a late Golden State push to preserve the victory and extend the series.
Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 23 points, sinking five three-pointers, while Rhyne Howard contributed 21 points. Angel Reese recorded 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, marking her fourth double-double of the series. For Golden State, Gabby Williams finished with a game-high 26 points after being limited to four in the first half, and Tiffany Hayes scored 15.
Golden State struggled from the floor, converting 31.4% of their field-goal attempts and 25.9% from three-point range. Veronica Burton made two of 13 shots and missed all six of her three-point attempts. Atlanta’s improved ball movement and shot-making contrasted with the Valkyries’ cold shooting and helped swing momentum back to the Dream.
Atlanta players said a team meeting helped refocus the roster heading into the elimination game, with Reese noting the internal message: "All of us have been superstars on a team at some point," Reese said. Reflecting on the win she added: “We needed the opportunity. That’s all we needed, and we maximized it today,” Reese said. “I’m just really proud of this group. The job is not done, and I’m looking forward to it. One more. Job’s not done.” Howard described the urgency before tip-off: “It’s do or die. It’s win or go home,” Howard said. “I knew that coming in, we had to be aggressive from the jump, and that starts with me. You know, I have to be a good leader for this team. I have to set the tone early, and I feel like that’s what I did today.”
The 12.30pm tipoff provoked debate but the Dream announced a sellout crowd of 17,099 for the game. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase declined to attribute the result to the scheduling, saying: “No. That had nothing to do with it,” she said. “We played at one o’clock last week.” She added: “We knew they were going to play desperate. We knew they were going to play like their life depends on it. For us not to match that is disappointing and frustrating.”
The series will be decided in Saturday’s Game 7 on Sat 31 Oct with Atlanta visiting Golden State at 8pm (USA/CNBC); this will be the first Game 7 in WNBA history and will determine the champion.