ATLANTA, GA — After the Atlanta Dream evened the score against the Golden State Valkyries Monday night, the team looks to keep the momentum at home.
The Dream's 79-65 victory against the Valkyries in Game 2 of the 2026 WNBA Finals was the first Finals win in franchise history.
The two WNBA teams spent the first half trading off leads and tying the game before the Dream took off in the second half at Chase Center in San Francisco.
During the matchup, Dream forward Angel Reese (5) led all scorers with 30 points and 16 rebounds to become the youngest WNBA player to have such a feat.
The player of the game and Defensive Player of the Year is now the third player to secure 30 points and 15-plus rebounds in a Finals game, behind the New Liberty's Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart.
"It's just a start," Reese said during the post-game press conference. "We have the city behind us. It's just the first toward who Atlanta is and who Atlanta is going to be the next couple of years."
Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) set a record for most steals in a Finals series with six steals, defending her position as No. 1 in league steals during the regular season.
Point guard Jordin Canada (3) neared a triple-double with 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds but told reporters she did not feel she played her best due to turnovers. Canada underscored her performance with a buzzer-beater three-point shot from the logo to conclude the third quarter.
Now that the series is tied 1-1, guard Allisha Gray told WANF-TV that the team must shift its focus to Game 3.
She told USA Sports there is room for improvement for the Dream.
"We just gotta continue building on this game, going back to watch film, seeing where (were) the mistakes we made ... I still feel like there's more in the tank for us to give," she said.
Game 3 will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday at State Farm after a rescheduling due to a concert and two Atlanta Hawks games at the State Farm Drive arena, which seats at least 17,000.
Game 4 will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at State Farm. Tickets are now on sale.
The games will air on Peacock. USA Today and NBC will each air select games.
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