The Atlanta Dream took a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals with a 97-71 beatdown of the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night, and Angel Reese made it clear the energy in Atlanta isn’t an accident, as reported by ClutchPoints.
“I just want to be able to come in every day, pour into everybody, bring the energy, bring the morale,” Reese said after the win. Teammate Naz Hillmon backed that up, saying Reese “shows up in every game.”
How Atlanta Took Over
This one wasn’t a blowout from the jump. The Dream led by as many as 12 in the second quarter, but Golden State won that frame 25-23 and Atlanta took just a six-point lead into the half. Then the Dream locked in. The Valkyries scored only 17 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth. Hillmon hit back-to-back threes early, Isobel Borlase gave Atlanta strong minutes off the bench, and Reese said the team shot 49% from the field. Janelle Salaün led Golden State with 12.
The IAHHM Take
Reese has always been as much a culture figure as a hooper, which means every miss gets memed and every win gets doubted. Nights like this are her answer. She doesn’t need a headline stat line to be the heartbeat of a team that is now two wins away from a championship in its first Finals trip since 2013.
Golden State still has home court in its back pocket for Games 5 and 7, and the Valkyries already showed they can bounce back. Just ask Steph, who had a message for Gabby Williams after Game 2. But a 26-point road loss is the kind that lingers.
Game 4 is Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. ET in Atlanta on NBC and Peacock, per NBC.
Does Atlanta close it out at home, or are the Valkyries about to drag this series back to the Bay?
Source: ClutchPoints
