ATLANTA — The Dream won their second consecutive game in the WNBA Finals on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the No. 4 seed Dream, who beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71.
Atlanta hosts Game 4 on Saturday (1 p.m. ET) before the series shifts back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday.
Both teams are seeking their first WNBA championship. Atlanta has played in three previous Finals but was swept in each appearance. Golden State is making its first trip to the Finals in just its second season.
ESPN was courtside at State Farm Arena with analysis of Game 3.
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Postgame analysis | Relive the action
How the Dream won the game: Atlanta finally got its offense going in Game 3, converting 49.3% of its shots after failing to hit the 35% threshold in either of its previous games in this series. That included a much better shooting night from the 3-point arc, where the Dream made nine 3-treys — including five combined from Naz Hillmon and Angel Reese.
While Golden State had plenty of success from deep (12-of-30), much of the Dream’s offense was fueled by their defensive pressure, with 17 Valkyries turnovers leading to 22 Atlanta points. The Dream also comfortably won the battle inside (plus-24 on points in the paint and plus-three on the glass).
And just like Game 2, Reese was the motor willing Atlanta to victory: She scored 15 points in a half for the third straight time in the Finals and became the youngest player to record three consecutive double-doubles in WNBA Finals history.
What the win means for Atlanta: After losing Game 1 to fall to 0-10 all time in WNBA Finals contests, the Dream have convincingly won Games 2 and 3 and are two victories away from winning the franchise’s first championship. They’ll want to finish this homestand on a positive note Saturday, when they host Game 4 in the early game of a doubleheader with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. A 3-1 series lead heading back to Ballhalla for Monday’s Game 5 would feel rather insurmountable for the Valkyries.
What changes do you expect in Game 4? Golden State coach Natalie Nakase was displeased with her team’s fight in Game 2, and I can’t imagine that changed with how Game 3 unraveled for the Valkyries in the third quarter. The Dream have dominated this series in time leading — remember, they led for 29:24 in Game 1 before the Valkyries’ late push. And that was before the Dream seemed to unlock something toward the end of Game 2 (where they led by as many as 21 points) and even more so Game 3 (where they won by 26).
While the Valkyries are only down 2-1, let’s face it: They’re in trouble unless they figure out things fast. — Alexa Philippou
