The Atlanta Dream came out strong in their first WNBA Finals home game at State Farm Arena, blowing out the Valkyries 97-71. The 26-point thumping was led by superstar Angel Reese, who notched yet another double-double, tallying 21 points and 12 rebounds. She’s also the first player to have three double-doubles in her first WNBA Finals appearances.
Because of Angel’s dominance all over the floor, there really hasn’t been a post battle to discuss. Golden State’s Kiah Stokes didn’t score in Game 2 and only notched 2 points tonight. Her 11 rebounds and 3 blocks helped on defense, but overall, Reese dominated the matchup down low.
Atlanta came out aggressive, holding the Valkyries scoreless for the first five minutes and jumping out to an early 9–1 lead. Although Golden State made a push early in the third quarter to briefly tie the game, Atlanta answered with a massive run to end the period with a 14-point advantage before pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Golden State’s Gabby Williams led the visitors with 15 points and 8 assists, and Tiffany Hayes scored 14 points. But the Valkyries suffered from self-inflicted wounds, which came by way of 15 turnovers and shooting struggles in the second half.
With 97 points, the Dream set a new franchise record for most points scored in a Finals game. They shot 49.3% from the field and outscored the Valkyries 51-31 in the second half. The Dream are now 2-1 in the series after tonight’s win.
Game 4 of the WNBA Finals will start at 1:00 PM/ET on Saturday, Oct. 24, as the Dream host the Valkyries at State Farm Arena.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Courtesy of the Dream