Angel Reese scores 30 as Dream beat Valkyries 79-65 to level WNBA Finals at 1-1

Dream pull away after halftime

The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco, tying the best-of-seven series at 1-1, according to the Associated Press. Golden State had won Game 1 on Saturday, 68-64. ^[1]

The game was close early. Golden State led 21-18 after the first quarter and Atlanta held a 39-37 halftime edge, per NBC Sports Bay Area. The Dream then won the third quarter 21-9, with Jordin Canada hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the logo to make it 60-46 entering the fourth, and Golden State never got the margin back under 14. ^[2]

Reese dominates the glass and the paint

Angel Reese finished with 30 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and two blocks, shooting 10 of 16. The AP noted she became the third player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, after Jonquel Jones in 2019 and Breanna Stewart in 2020. ^{[1] [2]}

Allisha Gray added 18 points, and Canada had 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, the AP reported. Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals. In Game 1 she had 14 points and 12 rebounds. ^[1]

Atlanta also won its first Finals game. The AP said the Dream had been 0-10 across three earlier Finals trips. ^[1]

Valkyries struggle to score

Gabby Williams, who scored 26 in Game 1, had 14 points on 3-of-15 shooting. Tiffany Hayes also scored 14, and Kiah Stokes had 11 rebounds and four blocks, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State shot 34.4 percent overall and 7 of 24 from three-point range, per the AP. ^{[1] [2]}

Turnovers hurt as well. Atlanta scored 24 points off 19 Golden State turnovers, compared with eight points off turnovers in Game 1, the AP reported. NBC Sports Bay Area said the Valkyries went more than seven minutes in the second quarter without a made field goal, and that Atlanta made 21 of 24 free throws against Golden State’s 4 of 7 after halftime. ^{[1] [2]}

“We shot terribly,” Atlanta guard Veronica Burton said, per the AP. ^[1]

What comes next

The series now shifts to Atlanta. Game 3 is Wednesday, October 21, at 5 p.m. Pacific time at State Farm Arena, according to NBC Sports Bay Area, which lists the game for Wednesday without a date. The AP reported that the remaining home games for Atlanta were moved to the larger arena, which holds more than 17,000, compared with about 3,500 at the Dream’s regular home court. ^{[1] [2]}

Both franchises are chasing a first WNBA championship. Golden State now has to win at least once away from Chase Center, while Atlanta has its first Finals win and the momentum of a lopsided second half. ^{[1] [2]}