The Atlanta Dream shooters have finally found the light of day.
And as a result, the Dream’s goal of winning their first WNBA championship still shines.
Allisha Gray scored 23 points and Rhyne Howard 21 as red-hot shooter Dream held off Golden State’s late rally to earn an 80-69 victory over the Valkyries in Game 6 Thursday and tie the game in the WNBA Finals.
The deciding Game 7 will be played in Golden State on Saturday night as each team seeks their first WNBA championship.
After experiencing its lowest scoring matches in the final in defeats in matches 4 and 5, the Dream experienced an offensive awakening in the face of the inevitable mandate.
“It’s been frustrating for all of us not being able to shoot well … and make open shots that we’ve been getting, not hitting them at the right time,” said Atlanta’s Angel Reese, who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. “And I always told the girls that it wouldn’t rain forever. And we were able to maximize that moment today. The sun came out a little more today and gave us an opportunity to see Game 7.”
The Valkyries defense was dominant in a 67-62 Game 4 victory and a 64-55 Game 5 win. That left Golden State with a 3-2 series lead and an opportunity to clinch the championship on Thursday. Instead, the Dream took the defensive advantage and took a 32-15 lead after the first quarter and 46-26 at halftime.
“The way we started the first quarter was unacceptable on our end,” Golden State guard Veronica Burton said. “You can’t let this happen from the start. »
After being held to 22 points in the first half of their Game 5 loss, the Dream matched that total in the first 6:30 of the first quarter.
“We knew they were going to be desperate,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said of the Dream. “For us not to match is disappointing and frustrating.
“It’s the final. The physical side is supposed to be up. You want to have that physical side. You want to have that fight. You want to have that mentality of giving it your all. We just didn’t do that.”
On Wednesday, the Dream announced a full house for Game 6 despite the much-criticized 12:30 p.m. EDT announcement. There were only empty seats scattered on the upper level, despite concerns about work and school commitments that hampered attendance.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points. Tiffany Hayes added 15.
Atlanta’s largest lead was 25 points. The Valkyries came back strong in the final minutes, pulling to 77-66 on two free throws from Laeticia Amihere with 1:57 remaining. A late 3-pointer by Gray stopped the comeback attempt.
Gray made 5 of 7 3s. Howard made 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Much of the production came from 3. Atlanta made 6 of 8 3s and 11 of 15 overall while taking a 32-15 lead in the first quarter.
Dream coach Karl Smesko said his team had regained its offensive rhythm.
“We played with different spacing and tempo,” Smesko said. “Really, that’s how we’re supposed to play. So it’s just getting back to our fundamentals of how we like to play on offense. And in the first half, you saw him catch it, ready to shoot.”
After leading 6-5, the Dream pulled away with 13 unanswered points in a series that included two 3s from Jordin Canada.
Reese joined the 3-pointer with a shot from the corner in the second half. The Dream improve to 16-0 when Reese has at least a 3.
As Atlanta’s elite shooting continued to lead 46-26 at halftime, the Valkyries struggled. Golden State made just 9 of 34 shots at halftime, often struggling to create open opportunities due to the Dream’s stifling defense.
Howard opened the second half with another 3-pointer. Burton was penalized for a flagrant foul midway through the third period when an officials review determined she had made an unnecessary windup and contact to Howard’s face as Howard was driving for a basket.
Kaila Charles closed out the third quarter with a 3-pointer for Golden State that cut Atlanta’s lead to 16 points at 63-47. It was the Dream’s smallest lead since going 13-0 in the first half.
Golden State got within 13 points at 68-55 before Gray and Reese sank 3s to extend the lead to 74-55. Williams’ three-point play cut the lead to 77-69 before Gray scored a crucial three-pointer for Atlanta.
Hayes was called for her fifth foul during a loose ball collision with 5:01 remaining. Hayes walked off the field slowly after receiving attention from a trainer.
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