Atlanta holds off furious Golden State comeback to force Game 7 in WNBA Finals

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

Atlanta (CNN) — The WNBA Finals are headed to a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night after the Atlanta Dream’s convincing victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday.

The Dream dominated the Valkyries from the very jump of Game 6, building the biggest first-quarter lead in WNBA Finals history and controlling things for much of the rest of the game, though things got a bit hairy as Golden State rallied in the fourth quarter.

The game finished 80-69 in favor of Atlanta.

Allisha Gray led the way for Atlanta with 23 points, including the dagger 3-pointer with about a minute to go that put Game 6 on ice. Rhyne Howard added 23 and Angel Reese had yet another double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

“Every time we threw the first punch, we won the game (in this series),” Reese told USA Network after the win. “Just being able to set the tone early. I mean, we didn’t have everybody come out at 12:30 p.m. for no reason. We appreciate the fans’ 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.”

The game tipped off to a loud crowd inside State Farm Arena, which was reportedly a sellout despite the tip-off happening a tick after 12:40 p.m. ET. The game had to be scheduled at the midday slot to ensure the Dream hosted a Finals game at Atlanta’s premier basketball venue rather than their typical home arena outside the city that seats around 3,500.

CNN’s Coy Wire caught up with a couple of Dream fans who made sure they were at the pivotal game instead of being stuck at the office.

“I had work today, but I took paid time off so they let me go,” Nyla James said.

Her friend Nailah Perry, also decked out in ATL gear, said she told her boss that “something came up” and that it was a “one-in-a-million” chance to support the team she loves, so she had to be at State Farm Arena.

The early tip didn’t dampen the typical home-crowd energy level these teams play in front of.

“It is so loud in here. You can’t hear anything,” James told Wire. “Everybody came out to support the Dream. It is so amazing!”

The drama over where Game 6 would be played was quickly forgotten as the Dream started fast. A 13-0 run in the first quarter helped the Dream jump out to a double-digit lead in the opening minutes with Allisha Gray leading the way with eight points in the first seven minutes.

By the end of the first quarter, the lead had grown to 17 – the largest first-quarter lead in Finals history – on the back of the Dream’s 11-15 shooting, six of which were from 3-point range.

The lead grew in the second quarter as the Valkyries couldn’t quite find their shooting form, going 9-34 from the floor in the half.

The lead reached 25 at one point in the quarter, but Golden State made a run in the final minutes to make it 46-26 at halftime in favor of the Dream.

The tide did not turn after the halftime break as the Dream continued to dominate, and the game started to get chippy. Howard went up for a layup on a fast break and was on the receiving end of a hard foul by Veronica Burton, with the Golden State player knocking Howard to the ground after a blow to the face. Burton was whistled for a flagrant foul and the ensuing free throws rebuilt the Dream’s lead to 25.

By the end of the third quarter, the Valkyries had cut the Dream’s lead to 16 points with 10 minutes to go in the game.

As the heat started to turn up on the Dream in the fourth quarter with the Valkyries drawing within 13 at one point, a couple of big 3-point shots helped stymie the Golden State rally.

Gray and Angel Reese nailed shots from long range on successive possessions to rebuild the Dream’s lead to 19, bringing State Farm Arena to its collective feet. But that wasn’t enough to fully put away the Valkyries, who narrowed the lead to 12 with under three minutes to go.

As the game entered the final two minutes, Golden State ratcheted up the pressure. Gabby Williams’ fast-break layup fell and she was fouled in the process, leading to a free throw that brought the Dream’s lead to eight. Williams’ second-half surge was instrumental in making the game close after a quiet first half.

The Dream rebuilt the lead to 11 after Gray’s corner 3-pointer dropped with about a minute to go, and then Atlanta got a crucial stop on the next possession. The Valkyries decided to allow the clock to run down and the Dream could exhale.

Game 7 will be held at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

When asked about Saturday’s tilt for the title and the mindset she and the Dream needed to win on the road, Reese said Atlanta needs a “championship mentality.”

“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.”

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