Before Monday night, the Atlanta Dream had played 10 games in the WNBA Finals and lost all 10. Three trips, three sweeps. On Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco, that streak ended. The Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 in Game 2 to even the series at 1-1, and they did it behind one of the best individual performances the Finals has seen. The series now heads to Atlanta with the Dream holding home-court advantage.
Angel Reese Answered the Call
In Game 1, Angel Reese did not score a point in the second half, and Atlanta lost 68-64. On Monday, she made sure that did not happen again. Reese finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting, adding three assists and two blocks. She had 15 points by halftime and never let up.
That stat line puts her in rare company. Only two other players have put up at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game: Jonquel Jones in 2019 and Breanna Stewart in 2020. Reese did it in a hostile building that the Valkyries have turned into one of the loudest in the league, and she did it the game after her team needed her most.
The Third Quarter Changed Everything
The game swung late in the third quarter. Atlanta closed the period on a 15-2 run, and Golden State never got back within striking distance. The engine was defense. The Dream forced 19 turnovers and turned them into 24 points after scoring just eight points off turnovers in Game 1. Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals, and she was everywhere.
The Valkyries shot 34.4 percent from the field and 7 of 24 from three. Gabby Williams, who carried Golden State with 26 points in Game 1, was held to 14 on 3-of-15 shooting. Tiffany Hayes also scored 14, and Veronica Burton added 11 points and seven rebounds, but nobody could get the offense moving. For a team that had not lost in regulation since Aug. 21, it was a rough night.
Atlanta’s Supporting Cast Showed Up
Reese got the headlines, but this was not a one-woman show. Allisha Gray scored 18 points. Jordin Canada ran the offense with 13 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. After shooting 32.8 percent from the field and 16 percent from three in the Game 1 loss, Atlanta found a rhythm, and the balance made the difference.
Where the Series Goes From Here
The Dream came into the Finals as the No. 4 seed after sweeping Washington and then sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinals. Golden State, the No. 2 seed, swept the Las Vegas Aces. Two teams that steamrolled through the bracket, and now they are dead even.
| Game | Date | Location | Result / TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat., Oct. 17 | San Francisco | Valkyries 68, Dream 64 |
| Game 2 | Mon., Oct. 19 | San Francisco | Dream 79, Valkyries 65 |
| Game 3 | Wed., Oct. 21 | Atlanta | 8 p.m. ET, USA |
| Game 4 | Sat., Oct. 24 | Atlanta | 1 p.m. ET, NBC |
| Game 5 | Mon., Oct. 26 | San Francisco | 8 p.m. ET, USA |
| Game 6* | Thu., Oct. 29 | Atlanta | 8 p.m. ET, USA |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | San Francisco | 8 p.m. ET, USA |
*If necessary
Games 3 and 4 move to State Farm Arena, the Hawks’ home, instead of the Dream’s usual Gateway Center Arena. That is the right call. State Farm holds more than 17,000 fans, and Atlanta has waited a long time for a Finals home game worth that kind of crowd.
A Week of First-Time Champions
Here is something worth noting. Neither the Dream nor the Valkyries has ever won a WNBA title. Neither the Rays nor the Brewers has ever won a World Series. Sometime before Halloween, two fan bases are going to celebrate something they have never celebrated before. I cannot remember the last time that happened in the same week.
After Monday, I like Atlanta’s chances. They have the home court, they have the hottest player in the series, and they finally have that first Finals win out of the way. But Golden State has been the toughest out in the league all year, and I would not count them out with Williams due for a bounce-back. Game 3 is Wednesday night, and I am ready for it.
Featured photo: Fans outside Chase Center before a Valkyries game, August 2025 by Sarah Stierch, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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