Angel Reese Sends Message to Dream Fans After Forcing WNBA Finals Game 7

Atlanta scored 32 points in the first quarter Thursday afternoon and did not trail again after the opening minute. The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena, tying the best-of-seven series 3-3. Game 7 is Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Tip-off was set for 12:30 p.m. ET, the time slot that let the Dream host Game 6 at State Farm Arena instead of Gateway Center Arena, their roughly 3,500-seat regular-season home in College Park. The game drew a sellout crowd of 17,099. The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the same building at 8 p.m. ET.

Getting ahead early was the Dream’s approach with their season on the line.

“Every time we threw the first punch, we won the game,” Angel Reese said in an on-court interview with USA Sports. “So just being able to set the tone early. We ain’t have everybody come out at 12:30 for no reason. We appreciate the fan support on a weekday. They came out and supported us every single day, every single game. So we wanted to make sure we ended this right here.”

Allisha Gray’s 3-pointer with 9:04 left in the first quarter put Atlanta ahead 3-2. It was the only lead change of the game.

The Dream shot 11-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Golden State went 5-of-17. Atlanta led 46-26 at halftime.

The lead reached 25 twice. Rhyne Howard’s pull-up jumper with 4:21 left in the second quarter made it 44-19, and Howard’s two free throws after a flagrant 1 foul on Veronica Burton made it 53-28 with 7:19 left in the third.

Gray finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 8-of-12 shooting. She made 5 of her 7 3-point attempts and blocked 3 shots.

Gray, a four-time All-Star, missed the final two games of Atlanta’s semifinal series against the New York Liberty with a hand injury. Entering Thursday, she was averaging 13.9 points on 34.4% shooting through eight playoff games, according to ESPN. She averaged 19.0 points during the regular season.

Howard scored 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and went 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. She had 11 by halftime.

With 1:15 left, Howard fouled out on a Gabby Williams fast-break layup, and the free throw that followed cut Atlanta’s lead to 77-69. On the next trip, Gray hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Reese with 56 seconds left to make it 80-69.

On Wednesday, Reese said the mistakes behind the Dream’s two straight losses had been their own.

“We just haven’t hit the shot yet,” Reese said, according to The Associated Press. “It’s coming. I don’t believe it’s not coming.”

Reese said Howard and Gray are both MVP-caliber players. The two made 9 of Atlanta’s 13 3-pointers Thursday.

“I told them that s--- was coming,” Reese explained. “It don’t wait forever. And they’re great shooters. They put the work in. And I’m just so proud of them. They lead this way. Rhyne and Allisha, both MVP-caliber players, All-Star players. So I’m just really proud of them, and we don’t win without them.”

Reese posted 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. She shot 5-of-18 from the field and 2-of-8 from 3-point range, with 6 turnovers and 5 fouls.

Dream coach Karl Smesko challenged Reese’s fifth foul with 1:56 left in the fourth quarter. The call stood.

In Game 4, Reese went 2-of-12 with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 turnovers, according to ESPN. She had 7 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists on 2-of-8 shooting in Game 5. Reese, a three-time All-Star, was named the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year in her first season in Atlanta.

Jordin Canada scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Naz Hillmon added 7 points on 3-of-4 in 30 minutes, and DeWanna Bonner went scoreless in 19 minutes.

Brionna Jones and Te-Hina Paopao did not dress. The official box score listed both with left leg injuries.

Atlanta scored 18 points off 11 Golden State turnovers. The Dream also held an 11-4 edge in second-chance points.

At halftime, Williams had 4 points on 1-of-9 shooting. She finished with 26 points on 8-of-22, with 15 in the fourth quarter, and made 7 of her 8 free throws.

Golden State outscored Atlanta 43-34 after halftime. The Valkyries shot 31.4% for the game and 7-of-27 from 3-point range.

Tiffany Hayes scored 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Burton had 8 points on 2-of-13, along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Off the bench, Laeticia Amihere had 5 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Kiah Stokes went scoreless with 7 rebounds in 20 minutes as a starter.

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase again started Kaila Charles and Hayes, the lineup change she made after Game 3, with Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini coming off the bench.

Golden State won Game 1 68-64 in San Francisco on Oct. 17. Atlanta won Game 2 79-65 and Game 3 97-71. The Valkyries won Game 4 67-62 and Game 5 64-55 on Monday at Chase Center.

In their second season, the Valkyries went 32-12 as the No. 2 seed and swept the three-game regular-season series with Atlanta. The Dream went 30-14 as the No. 4 seed.

Reese wants one more win on the road. Atlanta is 1-2 at Chase Center in the series.

“We just wanted to get this one, one at a time, and being able to go out and take our chances and go on the road and win one,” Reese said. “We needed the opportunity. That’s all we needed, and we maximized it today. I’m just really proud of this group. The job is not done, and I’m looking forward to it. One more. Job’s not done.”

Neither franchise has won a WNBA title. Game 7 tips off at 8 p.m. ET Saturday at Chase Center on USA Network and Peacock.