It was a wake up call delivered with extreme prejudice: the Atlanta Dream absolutely dominated the Golden State Valkyries, smashing them 80-69 and forcing a decisive Game 7 in the WNBA Finals. After failing to break through Golden State’s defense in the previous two games, Atlanta reminded everyone they have the shooting power to light it up when it matters most.
Dream Offense Explodes, Rewrites History
From the jump, the Dream came out swinging. Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray weren’t just hitting shots, they were scorching the nets from beyond the arc. Before we even hit the midway point of the first quarter, Atlanta was already up by a staggering 17 points! That’s not just a big lead, folks, that’s the *largest first-quarter lead in WNBA Finals history*. They just rewrote the record books right out of the gate.
They didn’t stop there, either. That lead ballooned to a whopping 25 points before the half, with Atlanta shooting a ridiculous 58.6% from the field and an even crazier 57.1% from three in that first half. Howard finished with 21 points on 6-11 shooting, including 4-6 from deep, and Gray led all Dream scorers with 23 points, knocking down 5 of her 7 attempts from downtown. Talk about clutch performances when your season is on the line! They finished the game shooting 43% from the field and a blistering 43% from three.
Valkyries Struggle on Both Ends as Gabby Fights
On the flip side, the Golden State Valkyries looked completely shell-shocked. Their defense, which had been so solid in previous games, was getting shredded. The Dream were finding wide-open driving lanes and kicking it out to perfectly spaced shooters on the perimeter. It was one of the worst defensive quarters the Valkyries have had all playoffs, seriously.
Their offense wasn’t doing much better. Golden State was forced to shift into “scoring mode” early, even subbing in Cecilia Zandalasini and Kaitlyn Chen at the expense of their usual defensive rotations. By halftime, they were shooting a dismal 21.9% from the field and only 25% from beyond the arc. Oof. And you know it’s rough when you have Veronica Burton missing an uncontested layup. The Dream defense was suffocating, forcing tough shots and making sure nothing came easy.
Gabby Williams, bless her heart, tried to keep them in it. She was a lone bright spot, dropping a game-high 26 points on 8-22 shooting, including 7-8 from the free-throw line and 3-9 from three. But her individual effort, and the team’s overall 31.7% from the field and 25.9% from three, just wasn’t enough to contend with Atlanta’s inferno.
Halloween Showdown: Winner Takes All
So here we are, after a deafening State Farm Arena crowd chanted “Dream in seven” at the final buzzer, heading to a winner-take-all Game 7. It’s all on the line. Halloween night. Chase Center. You think it’s gonna be quiet? No way. This is it. Everything comes down to one game. Get ready, because this WNBA Finals just got ridiculously spicy.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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