The Atlanta Dream will look to move ahead in the WNBA Finals when they host the Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night, with the best-of-seven series level at 1-1.
Angel Reese was central to Atlanta’s revival in Game 2, producing 30 points and 16 rebounds as the Dream secured a 79-65 victory at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday.
The performance made Reese the youngest player in WNBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game. She also became only the third player to reach those figures in the championship series.
Atlanta’s win was the franchise’s first in the WNBA Finals after defeats in its previous ten games in the competition. The Dream’s defence held the Valkyries to 34.4 per cent shooting and capitalised on 19 Golden State turnovers.
Rhyne Howard added a Finals-record six steals, while Allisha Gray scored 18 points and Jordin Canada contributed 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
The result has given Atlanta home-court advantage for the next two games, which were moved to the larger State Farm Arena to accommodate more supporters. The venue can hold more than 17,000 spectators, compared with around 3,500 at the Dream’s usual home, Gateway Center Arena.
Reese said the team had remained united and was drawing confidence from the backing of the city.
“We just continue to stick together and know who we are, and we have the city behind us,” she said.
Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 8pm local time on Wednesday, October 21. Atlanta are seeking the first WNBA title in franchise history, while the Valkyries will attempt to regain the lead in their first Finals appearance.
