By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 29, 2026
The Atlanta Dream are one victory away from making franchise history.
With their championship hopes hanging in the balance, the Atlanta Dream refused to let their season end on their home court. Behind an explosive first-quarter performance and renewed defensive intensity, Atlanta defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 Thursday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 17,099 at State Farm Arena, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 of the WNBA Finals.
The victory evened the best-of-seven championship series at three games apiece and kept Atlanta’s pursuit of its first WNBA title alive. The championship will be decided Saturday at 8 p.m. in San Francisco.
After consecutive losses in Games 4 and 5 put their season on the brink, the Dream responded with renewed energy, improved shooting and the defensive intensity that helped carry them through the playoffs.
“We’re excited for it,” Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of the upcoming championship showdown. “We know the job is not done. We’ve got a great opportunity, and you know we expect to go out there and play great.”
Gray and Howard Lead Atlanta’s Offensive Resurgence
Allisha Gray led the Dream with 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocked shots. Rhyne Howard added 21 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Angel Reese contributed another double-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Jordin Canada also reached double figures with 10 points, giving Atlanta four double-digit scorers.
The Dream shot 43.5 percent from the field and connected on 43.3 percent of their three-point attempts, a significant improvement over the offensive struggles that contributed to their previous two defeats.
Atlanta made 13 three-pointers, setting a new franchise record for a WNBA Finals game. The Dream also recorded eight blocked shots, another franchise Finals record.
Gray connected on five three-pointers, including a crucial late basket that helped extinguish Golden State’s comeback attempt.
“We know when we play Atlanta Dream basketball and support each other and move the ball we’re successful,” Gray said.
A First-Quarter Statement
After struggling to establish an offensive rhythm in consecutive losses, Atlanta wasted little time demonstrating that Game 6 would be different.
Fueled by a 13-0 run in the opening quarter, the Dream built a commanding 32-15 advantage entering the second period. The 32 points represented Atlanta’s highest-scoring quarter of the Finals, while the 17-point margin established the largest first-quarter lead in WNBA Finals history, according to the team’s communications staff.
The opening-quarter performance was remarkable for its efficiency. Atlanta connected on 11 of 15 field-goal attempts, shooting 73.3 percent, including six of eight shots from three-point range. The Dream’s quick start put Golden State on the defensive and established a tempo the Valkyries struggled to match.
Atlanta continued to control the game in the second quarter, extending its lead to 46-26 at halftime.
The Dream shot 53.1 percent from the field during the opening half and made eight of 15 three-point attempts. Atlanta’s defense also limited Golden State to just 26.5 percent shooting before halftime, allowing the Dream to build a lead that reached 25 points during the game.
Smesko credited his players with returning to the fundamentals that have defined their most successful performances.
“It’s just the way that we’re capable of playing, and the way we’re supposed to play,” he said. “And I give our players so much credit for the way they came out today. They were relentless.”
The coach emphasized improved spacing, ball movement and playing at Atlanta’s preferred tempo as key factors in the turnaround.
Dream Defense Makes the Difference
Atlanta’s defensive performance was equally important in extending the championship series.
The Dream held Golden State to 31.4 percent shooting from the field and just 25.9 percent from three-point range. The Valkyries made only 22 of their 70 field-goal attempts, struggling to find consistent offensive opportunities against Atlanta’s pressure.
Gabby Williams led Golden State with 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, while Tiffany Hayes contributed 15. Despite their efforts, the Valkyries were unable to overcome the deficit created by Atlanta’s dominant opening half.
Although Atlanta committed 15 turnovers, Golden State managed only 12 points off those mistakes.
The Dream, meanwhile, converted the Valkyries’ 11 turnovers into 18 points, reflecting the effectiveness of Atlanta’s defensive pressure and ability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes.
Atlanta’s eight blocked shots also underscored the team’s defensive presence around the basket.
Gray tied the individual franchise record for blocks in a Finals game with three, while rookie Isobel Borlase moved into first place in franchise history for postseason blocked shots by a rookie.
The Dream carried a 63-47 advantage into the fourth quarter, but Golden State refused to surrender.
Led by Williams, the Valkyries gradually reduced the deficit, cutting Atlanta’s lead to eight points with 1:15 remaining.
Gray responded with her fifth three-pointer of the afternoon, effectively ending Golden State’s hopes of completing the comeback and sending the series back to San Francisco for one final contest.
Reese Continues Record-Setting Postseason
Reese’s performance added another chapter to an impressive postseason.
Her 15-point, 14-rebound effort marked her fifth double-double of the playoffs, establishing a new Dream franchise record for the most double-doubles in a single postseason.
With her ninth rebound of the game, Reese also moved into fourth place on Atlanta’s all-time postseason rebounding list.
Beyond the statistics, Reese emphasized the importance of Atlanta’s aggressive start and the energy provided by the home crowd.
“You can tell we definitely got our swagger back,” Reese said.
She also expressed appreciation for the fans who filled State Farm Arena for the unusual 12:30 p.m. Thursday tipoff.
“Shout out to the crowd being able to come here at 12:30 on a Thursday, and so many things going on in the world, from school to work to everything else. And we’re just super thankful. We fed off their energy.”
Reese said the Dream’s ability to establish an early advantage has been a recurring factor in their postseason success.
“When we can punch first, we’ve won every single game,” she said. “I’m just really proud of just how we came out tonight, and we have to make sure we continue that going into Ballhalla.”
Individual Milestones Highlight Team Effort
Thursday’s victory also produced several individual accomplishments.
Gray’s 23-point performance moved her into a tie for third place in Dream franchise history for postseason games with at least 20 points.
Howard, who scored 21 points, recorded her second consecutive 20-point postseason performance and moved into second place on the franchise’s all-time list for such games. She also tied a Dream Finals record by making four three-pointers.
Naz Hillmon contributed seven points, five rebounds and three assists, while Borlase added four points off the bench.
The starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Hillmon and Reese now owns a 6-3 postseason record.
Atlanta also improved to 3-3 against Golden State in the Finals, including a 2-1 record at State Farm Arena.
One Game for the Championship
The Dream’s return to the WNBA Finals has already produced several historic moments.
Atlanta entered this championship series seeking its first Finals victory after going winless in its three previous Finals appearances. That drought ended with a 79-65 victory over Golden State in Game 2.
The Dream followed with a commanding 97-71 victory in Game 3, taking a 2-1 series lead before Golden State responded with consecutive victories to move within one win of the championship.
Thursday’s performance demonstrated Atlanta’s ability to respond when facing elimination.
Now the Dream must produce one more winning performance, this time on Golden State’s home court.
The stakes could hardly be higher for a franchise that has spent years pursuing a championship breakthrough.
For Gray, Howard, Reese and their teammates, Saturday represents an opportunity to complete a postseason journey that has already rewritten portions of the franchise record book.
For Smesko, the approach remains straightforward: play with the same intensity, discipline and confidence that carried Atlanta through Game 6.
The Dream have survived elimination. They have regained their offensive rhythm. And they have earned one final opportunity to bring a WNBA championship to Atlanta.
Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 8 p.m. in San Francisco, with the WNBA championship on the line.
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