ATLANTA — The Dream gave themselves a final game by building a lead Golden State could reduce but never erase.
Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Rhyne Howard added 21 and Angel Reese finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds as Atlanta beat the Valkyries 80–69 Thursday in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals. The series is tied 3–3, setting up a deciding game Saturday, October 31, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The first quarter established the terms of Atlanta’s survival. The Dream scored 32 points to Golden State’s 15, then added to that advantage by winning the second quarter 14–11. A 46–26 halftime lead gave Atlanta a substantial buffer before the Valkyries’ offense began to improve after the break.
Golden State won both remaining quarters, 21–17 in the third and 22–17 in the fourth. Those gains reduced the final margin to 11, but the cumulative second-half advantage was not enough to reverse the opening half. Atlanta’s early scoring did more than create momentum; it gave the Dream enough room to endure the visitors’ better finishing stretch.
Gray was the most efficient of Atlanta’s leading scorers. The official WNBA box lists eight makes on 12 field-goal attempts, including five of seven from three-point range. She also had six rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks. Her five three-pointers supplied 15 of her 23 points, making her outside shooting a major part of the Dream’s successful offensive night.
Howard supplied a second perimeter threat, making four of six three-point attempts and all five of her free throws. She finished six-for-11 overall, with four rebounds and four assists. The combination of Gray and Howard gave Atlanta nine of its 13 made threes and enough scoring efficiency to offset less productive possessions elsewhere.
Reese’s contribution required a broader reading than her shooting line. She made five of 18 shots, but collected 14 rebounds and distributed six assists, the most on the Dream. Twelve of her rebounds came at the defensive end. Those possessions helped Atlanta finish stops and return the ball to an offense that had already established its advantage.
Atlanta made 27 of 62 field-goal attempts, or 43.5 percent, and went 13-for-30 from beyond the arc. Golden State finished 22-for-70 overall, shooting 31.4 percent, and made seven of 27 three-point attempts. The six-three difference supplied 18 points of separation from outside, a major factor in a game decided by 11.
The Valkyries had advantages in other parts of the box. They collected 36 rebounds to Atlanta’s 35 and had nine offensive boards to the Dream’s five. Golden State also committed 10 turnovers while forcing 15. Those extra opportunities did not fully compensate for the gap in shooting, particularly the first-half deficit that left the visitors needing a sustained recovery.
Gabby Williams led all scorers with 26 points, making eight of 22 shots, three of nine threes and seven of eight free throws. Tiffany Hayes added 15 points on six-for-10 shooting. The Valkyries received nine points from Cecilia Zandalasini and eight from Veronica Burton, but their overall scoring remained short of what the early deficit required.
Burton, the former Northwestern guard, added six rebounds and a team-high four assists without a turnover. She also had three steals. Her shooting was more difficult: two makes in 13 attempts and none in six tries from three-point range. That contrast between careful ball handling and missed scoring chances reflected the larger problem Golden State faced.
Laeticia Amihere gave the Valkyries 10 rebounds in 20 minutes, along with five points, two assists and a block. Atlanta countered with seven points, five rebounds and three assists from Naz Hillmon. The supporting totals mattered, but the largest scoring difference came from Atlanta’s three leading players, who combined for 59 of the Dream’s 80 points.
Neither team can carry Thursday’s score into the next game. Atlanta has recovered from the immediate threat of elimination and must now win away from home. Golden State has another opportunity to finish the series, this time on its own floor. The official Game 7 listing gives an 8 p.m. Eastern start, which is 7 p.m. Chicago time on Saturday.
For the Dream, Game 6 provided a clear route back into the championship: score early, make perimeter chances and complete defensive possessions with rebounds. Golden State’s second-half response kept the final margin respectable. Atlanta’s first half made sure that response did not end its season.
Atlanta also finished with 19 assists to Golden State’s 13 and eight blocks to the Valkyries’ two. Those totals do not replace the shooting difference, but they show that the Dream’s advantage included both creating successful shots and challenging attempts at the other end.
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