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Sports

Angel Reese Scores 21 as Dream Beat Valkyries 97-71 for 2-1 WNBA Finals Lead

Angel Reese posted her third straight double-double as the Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals, with Game 4 set for Saturday in Atlanta.

By admin Oct. 22, 2026 · 7:43 PM ET 2 min read

A packed indoor basketball arena at night with players on the court during a professional game

ATLANTA — Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night and take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

It was the third straight double-double of the Finals for Reese, coming two nights after her 30-point, 16-rebound performance evened the series at 1-1. Rhyne Howard added 16 points and Naz Hillmon had 15 for the Dream, who host Game 4 on Saturday at State Farm Arena. Gabby Williams scored 15 points and Tiffany Hayes added 14 for the Valkyries.

Third quarter decides it

A basketball dropping through a net on a professional arena court

The game was tied at 49 in the third quarter when Atlanta scored eight straight, including four by Reese. Golden State pulled within 59-55 on Hayes’ layup but got no closer as Atlanta closed the quarter scoring 12 of the final 14 points. Atlanta has outscored Golden State 63-35 in the third quarter across the three games.

The Dream jumped ahead 9-1 in the first five minutes as the Valkyries missed their first eight shots. Aminata Gueye’s hook shot with 4:39 left in the opening quarter was Golden State’s first basket. Atlanta led 23-15 after the quarter and 46-40 at halftime.

Sold-out State Farm

Two basketball players in blue uniforms seen from behind on an arena court

The game was originally scheduled for Gateway Center Arena, which seats 3,500. The league worked with the Atlanta Hawks to move Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, which seats more than 17,000. Wednesday’s game was sold out, and Game 4 is sold out as well. The crowd included Ludacris, and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was removed from the game after refusing a private suite that the Dream and State Farm Arena had offered him for his protection.

A gold championship trophy topped with a basketball sitting on a polished court

“It feels good when you’re in the finals. It’s a long season and you play against everybody and go through and push through, but when you can do it at the highest level, this is what you live for, this is what the offseason is for,” Reese said. “I put the work in for this moment and I’m just happy I could lead the team to a win. We’re feeling good going into Saturday.”

Game 1 averaged 2.1 million viewers on NBC, the most ever for an opening game of the Finals, according to the AP report, while Game 2 averaged 1.33 million on USA Network. The Dream are two wins away from a championship.

Reporting based on coverage by The Associated Press via Sportsnet.

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