How the Third Quarter Gave the Atlanta Dream Control of Game 2
The Atlanta Dream needed a response in the second half, and Angel Reese provided it. Atlanta outscored the Golden State Valkyries 21-9 in the third quarter to take clear command, with Reese personally responsible for 9 of Atlanta's 21 third-quarter points. By the time the fourth quarter began, the game was decided. The Dream closed out the Valkyries for a 79-65 final - the most complete performance by either team in the 2026 WNBA Finals up to that point.
Golden State had won Game 1 at Chase Center two days earlier with a 68-64 decision, so the narrative heading into Game 2 was that the Valkyries held a real home-court edge. Reese's third-quarter takeover dismantled that narrative in a single period. When a player puts up 30 points and 16 rebounds in a WNBA Finals game, the home crowd advantage stops mattering - and Reese made that point in the decisive run of the series so far.
First WNBA Finals Win in Franchise History - What 79-65 Means for Atlanta
The Atlanta Dream last appeared in the WNBA Finals in 2013 and left without a championship. Monday night's 79-65 win over the Golden State Valkyries was the franchise's first WNBA Finals victory in its history - a milestone that resets what this team believes about itself. The Dream swept the New York Liberty in the semifinals to reach the Finals for the first time in over a decade, and they have now proven, on the road and under postseason pressure, that they belong on this stage.
Allisha Gray added 18 points to support Reese's dominant double-double, and Atlanta's supporting cast held together when Golden State pushed back in the fourth quarter. The Dream return home with the series tied 1-1, carrying the momentum of a performance that showed their best player performs bigger in the biggest games. Atlanta's culture moves with this team - the city that has produced some of the country's best independent music also produces sports moments that belong on a national stage.
State Farm Arena and Atlanta's Home Court Advantage in Games 3 and 4
The 2026 WNBA Finals is a best-of-five series now tied at one game each, and the schedule runs directly in Atlanta's favor. Games 3 and 4 are both at State Farm Arena, giving the Dream two consecutive home opportunities to take control before the series could return to California. State Farm Arena has been one of the loudest and most energized venues in Georgia sports all season, and the WNBA Finals gives it an entirely new level of stakes. For context on Atlanta's history as a major host city for marquee events, the cultural and economic weight behind moments like this is well documented.
Game 3 Is Wednesday at 8 PM ET - Atlanta's WNBA Finals Moment Is Here
Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA Finals tips off Wednesday, October 21 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta at 8:00 PM ET. The Dream have the momentum from Angel Reese's Game 2 performance, two home games on the schedule, and the full force of Atlanta sports culture behind them. If Atlanta wins both Game 3 and Game 4, they will claim the franchise's first WNBA championship in history. The Valkyries won Game 1, but the Dream answered in Game 2 - and this series is now decided at home.
Atlanta sports and Atlanta music have always moved together, and this WNBA Finals run is no exception. Whether you are setting the vibe before Wednesday tip-off or celebrating after the final buzzer, Di-VerZe HitZ Radio streams Atlanta hip-hop and R&B free around the clock on web, iOS, and Android - the sound of the city that is watching Angel Reese chase history.