Angel Reese powers Atlanta Dream to first WNBA Finals win

The Atlanta Dream captured their inaugural victory in a WNBA Finals series, defeating the Golden State Valkyries 79‑65 and evening the best‑of‑seven contest at 1‑1. The game took place in San Francisco on Saturday, 20 October 2026, and marked the Dream’s first Finals appearance since 2013, while the Valkyries were making their debut after a 2025 inaugural season.

Angel Reese delivered a dominant performance, tallying 30 points and 16 rebounds. Her effort helped the Dream maintain a slim 39‑37 lead at halftime and then pull away during a 13‑minute stretch in the third and fourth quarters, when they scored 30 points while allowing only eight. Reese contributed nine of her points in that decisive span.

With this showing, Reese became only the third player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals series, joining Jonquel Jones (2019) and Breanna Stewart (2020). At 24, she also set the record as the youngest player to achieve the milestone in a WNBA postseason game. The 2026 season is Reese’s first with Atlanta after a trade from the Chicago Sky, and she entered the matchup as the league’s defensive player of the year.

“She just came out on a mission tonight,” said teammate Allisha Gray, the Dream’s defensive guard.

The Dream had fallen 68‑64 in the series opener on Saturday, a loss that left Reese feeling she had let her team down. “I let my team down last game, not really contributing as much as I could in the second half,” she explained. “I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark. And I think I did that.” Reese added, “I was hungry, I think we let one slip away on Saturday. You can’t do that. We felt disappointed, we felt embarrassed. I walked off the court not feeling like myself, and I wanted to make sure that this game I did everything I could to walk off the court and feel like who I am.”

Prior to this win, Atlanta held a 0‑10 record in Finals play, having been swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

The series now shifts to Atlanta, where Games 3 and 4 will be contested at the 16,000‑seat State Farm Arena on Thursday, 22 October, and Saturday, 24 October.

Gabby Williams, who scored 14 points in Game 1, was a bright spot for the Valkyries, though her effort was not enough to secure a win. The matchup also attracted NBA star Steph Curry, who attended with his daughter.