The Golden State Valkyries got hit by a freight train, seriously. The Atlanta Dream absolutely leveled them in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, snatching their first Finals win in franchise history and tying this best-of-seven series at 1-1. And trust me, it wasn’t even close, with a thoroughly dominant third quarter turning this one into a full-blown blowout.
Defensive Slugfest Turns Wild Early
We knew this series was gonna be a defensive slugfest, right? Both these teams finished top three in defensive rating this year, with a whopping six of the ten All-Defense selections between them. So, it was no shocker when Game 2 started with a turnover on the Dream’s first possession, immediately followed by Golden State turning it over too. But then, the stars showed up, with Angel Reese dropping buckets for the Dream and Gabby Williams doing the same for the Valkyries, reminding everyone that good offense can still beat even the best D. Golden State was executing well early, and Ballhalla was absolutely rocking in the first quarter. There was a bit more offense than in Game 1, with things tied 10-10 halfway through. The Valkyries’ bench came up huge too, Kaila Charles drained two big threes, and Kaitlyn Chen even hit a clutch layup at the buzzer to give them a 21-18 lead after the first 10 minutes. You felt like Golden State was feeling good, had that momentum.
Angel Reese Takes Over, Valkyries Go Cold
But the Dream? They were not fazed. Not at all. They came out in the second quarter with some serious fire, quickly snatching that lead right back. It felt like the Valkyries were still relying on a total group effort, which is fine, but Atlanta? They had Angel Reese. And let me tell you, when you have a player like Reese, who finished seventh in MVP voting and even beat out Gabby Williams for Defensive Player of the Year, making her the entire game plan isn’t a detriment, it’s just smart. She was making her presence felt everywhere, on both sides of the ball, with star plays abounding. While Reese was hitting the big shots, the Dream were playing incredible team defense, totally locking down Golden State, forcing bad looks. The Valkyries went ice cold, seriously. They even managed to grab a six-point lead at one point, but then BAM! The Dream exploded with a 10-0 run to completely retake control.
The series is now tied 1-1, and the Golden State Valkyries need to figure out how to stop Angel Reese and that suffocating Dream defense before Game 3. This Finals got intense, fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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