The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, forcing a decisive Game 7. Allisha Gray scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting at State Farm Arena, and the Dream built a 25-point lead that held up despite a third-quarter push from Golden State.
Atlanta blitzed the Valkyries with a 32-15 first quarter, the biggest swing of the series. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 26 points and three steals, but the Valkyries shot just 31% from the field for the game and never got closer than 11 in the second half. Jordin Canada added 10 points and six assists for Atlanta, which improved to 30-14 and sent the series back to a seventh game with the WNBA title unsettled at 3-3.
How Atlanta Built Its Lead
The Dream Valkyries Game 6 WNBA Finals result was decided almost entirely in the opening 12 minutes. Atlanta opened with a 23-6 run spanning the first quarter, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Rhyne Howard that made it 8-25 with 2:47 left in the period. Jordin Canada’s running layup pushed the lead to 21, and Atlanta carried a 32-15 edge into the second quarter.
Golden State never found an answer in transition or in the paint during that stretch. The Valkyries missed 15 of their first 20 field-goal attempts and committed four turnovers in the first quarter alone, allowing the Dream to get out in transition for easy baskets.
Atlanta’s lead swelled to as many as 25 points before Golden State mounted its only real comeback bid. The Valkyries outscored the Dream 21-17 in the third quarter, with Gabby Williams scoring 12 of her 26 in the period to cut the deficit to as little as 20 points. Rhyne Howard was assessed a flagrant foul with 7:19 left in the third, sending Howard to the line for two free throws that pushed Atlanta’s lead back to 25, 28-53.
Golden State’s rally stalled in the fourth quarter. The Valkyries shot just 7 of 27 from three-point range for the game and finished with only 13 total assists, a sign of how often their offense bogged down into isolation looks against Atlanta’s defense.
Top Performers
Allisha Gray led all scorers for Atlanta with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 5 of 7 from three-point range, and added six rebounds and three blocks. Angel Reese recorded 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, continuing her physical presence in the paint through the Finals. Rhyne Howard scored 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting with four three-pointers in 38 minutes.
For Golden State, Gabby Williams finished with 26 points, three rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes but shot 8 of 22 from the field. Tiffany Hayes scored 15 points off the bench, and Laeticia Amihere grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Veronica Burton led the Valkyries with four assists but shot just 2 of 13 from the field.
The teams split rebounding 35 apiece, but the Dream shot 44% from the field and 43% from three-point range compared to Golden State’s 31% and 26% marks. Atlanta’s eight blocked shots, led by Gray’s three, disrupted the Valkyries’ interior offense throughout the night.
What It Means
The win keeps Atlanta’s championship hopes alive and ties the series at 3-3 heading into a decisive Game 7. Golden State had won Game 5 64-55 to move within one win of the title, but the Dream’s response at home evens the series for the first time since Game 1. Atlanta improved to 30-14 overall, while Golden State moved to 32-12.
Angel Reese’s 14 rebounds marked another double-double in a Finals run featuring heavy interior minutes. Allisha Gray’s two-way performance continued her dominant stretch throughout the series.
What’s Next
Game 7 will determine the WNBA champion, with the series tied 3-3. Golden State won Game 5 64-55 to take a 3-2 series lead, and Atlanta dropped Game 4 67-62 before forcing the decisive game.
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