Angel Reese revives Atlanta as WNBA Finals are levelled
Atlanta beat Golden State 79–65 at the Chase Center overnight on 19 to 20 October in Brazzaville. With 30 points and 16 rebounds, Angel Reese led the Dream to the first win in their history in a WNBA Finals. The series is level, one win apiece.
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Atlanta leave San Francisco with what they lacked after the first game: a win, and the chance to take the lead in front of their own fans. The Dream had lost the opening game 68–64. This time they built their victory without letting Golden State back into it in the closing minutes.
Reese gives the attack a new dimension
Reese's 30 points and 16 rebounds sum up her influence on this second game. Her shooting, ten field goals made from sixteen attempts, gave Atlanta an offensive reference point. The Dream found several contributors around her: Allisha Gray added 18 points, while Jordin Canada finished with 13 points, ten assists and seven rebounds.
The spread of responsibility mattered. Atlanta did not simply wait for one individual performance to win it: Canada linked up possessions and Gray offered another scoring option. The Dream were therefore able to keep producing despite the foul trouble that complicated the first half for their key players.
The third quarter opens the gap
At the break, Atlanta led only 39–37. The third quarter transformed the game: the Dream won it 21–9, stretching the lead to 60–46. Golden State went into the final ten minutes fourteen points behind, having been held in check offensively for an entire period.
The Valkyries shot 34.4% from the field. Gabby Williams and Tiffany Hayes scored 14 points each, Veronica Burton eleven. Williams, who scored 26 points in the first game, this time made three of her fifteen attempts. Those struggles limited Golden State's chances of a comeback.
The Finals switch venue
Atlanta's win levels the best-of-seven series. After two games on the road, the Dream will host the third game, with the chance to take the lead in the series.
The third game is scheduled for overnight on 21 to 22 October, at 1am in Brazzaville, at State Farm Arena. Golden State will need to rediscover their offensive efficiency; Atlanta will look to prolong the collective balance that has just put their Finals back in motion.
File photo: Angel Reese in Minneapolis, 9 May 2026. © John McClellan / John Mac — CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped, reduced and SNA logo added; adapted under the same licence.