WNBA Finals: Dream rediscovers the 3-point shot and forces Game 7 after dominating the first half to earn a resurgent victory against the Valkyries

Gabby Williams, who finished with 26 points – including 22 in the second half – did her best to bring Golden State back into contention on Thursday, but the Valkyries simply had a hole too big to climb out of.

The 3-point shot was the difference for Atlanta, which made 13 of 30 from beyond the arc.

After Williams scored eight points late, Allisha Gray hit a 3 that sealed the game.

She had 23 points and went 5 of 7 from deep.

The first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history is now in the works.

Gabby Willams now has 22 points in the second half. She just capitalized on a Dream turnover, scoring a lay-up at the break, plus a subsequent free throw that accompanied the and-1.

It’s an eight-point game.

Atlanta’s final basket came at 5:43. Meanwhile, the Valkyries maintained a glimmer of hope.

Along the way, Gabby Williams increased her point total to 23 points.

Additionally, the Dream has foul trouble: Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon and Angel Reese all committed five fouls.

Gabby Williams is fighting a serious fight. His final 3-point basket made it a 14-point game.

She was aggressive attacking the basket and pulling the trigger from 3-point land.

Atlanta has now made twice as many 3-pointers (12) in Game 6 as it converted in Game 5.

Allisha Gray hit another from the corner, then Angel Reese connected from the top of the arc.

The Dreams are 12 of 27 from deep.

By the way, Reese is up to four double-doubles in this series, the second most any player has recorded in a single WNBA Finals.

Allisha Gray may have reignited the Dream’s 3-point barrage with a triple early in the fourth quarter.

Gray is now 3 of 4 downtown.

Well, the Valkyries aren’t done yet. Thanks in part to a pair of Kaila Charles 3-pointers, Golden State found itself trailing just 16 points early in the fourth quarter.

In a match where he is down by up to 25, this is a reason to hope.

Even though the Dream’s offensive explosion calmed down in the third quarter, they were still in control in the sixth game.

Missed layups haunted the Valkyries all afternoon. These, along with other paint misfires, stood in the way of any potential return bids.

Gabby Williams shot just 1 of 9 from the field in the first half. As the third quarter wears on, she finally makes the impact we’ve come to expect from her.

His last basket, a 3-point basket, brought the Valkyries back to within 20 points of the Dream.

Rhyne Howard’s hold was disrupted before she reached the cup, when Veronica Burton fouled her, accidentally hitting Howard in the face.

Burton clearly had no intention of making that kind of contact, and she rushed to check on Howard.

The fault has been reviewed and improved to 1 blatant.

After lying down briefly, Howard got up and made her free throws.

Rhyne Howard’s smooth shooting performance continued into the second half.

She has just scored her fourth 3-point basket.

Atlanta shot 17 of 32 from the field, including 8 of 15 from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Golden State was just 9 of 34 from the field.

The Dream led by no less than 25 points in the first half.

Rhyne Howard (11 points) and Allisha Gray (10 points) pace Atlanta. Angel Reese (7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) is under triple-double surveillance.

Tiffany Hayes leads the Valkyries with 11 points. She made four of Golden State’s nine baskets.

Atlanta was sloppy throughout the first half, turning the ball over and missing a bunch of shots.

Golden State reduced the gap to 20 points, thanks to a 3 from Tiffany Hayes and a lay-up from Laeticia Amihere on a Dream turnover.

Still, Atlanta’s cushion is substantial. Karl Smesko’s team is out firing and ready to force a Game 7.

Angel Reese joins the 3-point fun, hitting a triple from the right wing.

She’s fired up and Atlanta is 8 of 12 from beyond the arc.

These missed stops do not help the Valkyries try to get back there. Each team has now made a significant adjustment in the series with two days between games. Notable because the schedule was adjusted to accommodate the change in venue so that Game 3 (with the series tied 1-1) did not have two days, but rather one.

Atlanta is running Golden State out of the gym right now. The Valkyries seemingly have no response to the rhythm of the Dream.

Allisha Gray just grabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast for an easy layup to give her team a 39-17 lead with nearly six minutes left in the second quarter.

Gray now has 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting.

The Dream’s newfound 3-point shot helps them increase their lead in the second quarter. Rhyne Howard has three triples today.

Atlanta is in control after the first quarter. That said, Golden State began to chip away at its massive deficit late in Game 1.

Cecilia Zandalasini scored the Valkyries’ final seven points.

But the Dream are going full steam at the moment. Allisha Gray has eight points, Jordin Canada has seven and Angel Reese has four to go along with her four rebounds and four assists.

Atlanta’s six 3s in the first quarter matched its 3-point total from Game 5.

The Dream scored 64, 62 and 55 in their losses in this series. They are already at 32 over one quarter.

Penetration opens up 3-point opportunities for the Dream, and they take advantage.

They are 6 out of 8 in the city center at the moment. This is one of the main reasons they are up 19 points.