Angel Reese Erupts for 30 as Dream Beat Valkyries to Level WNBA Finals

The Atlanta Dream leveled the 2026 WNBA Finals at 1-1 with a 79-65 win over the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco, powered by a standout performance from Angel Reese.

In Monday night's game (local time), Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, while Allisha Gray chipped in 18. The Dream controlled both ends of the floor in the second half, squaring the best-of-seven series before it shifts to Atlanta.

Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals, and Jordin Canada posted 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. It was the first Finals win in Dream franchise history, after three previous appearances ended in defeat. Atlanta's team leaves Chase Center with a split of the two road games, played in front of a raucous Valkyries home crowd.

"It's a tough environment to play in. Shoutout to the fans and my teammates," Reese said after the game. "We came in and we fought. Game 1 was really tough for us, but we moved on."

With the performance, Reese became the third player in history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Jonquel Jones (Connecticut, 2019) and Breanna Stewart (Seattle, 2020).

"She definitely played a lot more aggressively and had a great game," Valkyries center Kiah Stokes said. "We let people get comfortable playing the way they want to play."

Game 3 is set for Wednesday in Atlanta. The next two games move to State Farm Arena, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, to accommodate a larger crowd. That venue holds more than 17,000, compared with Gateway Center Arena — the Dream's regular home — which seats only 3,500.

Chase Center holds 18,064 and has sold out every game since the Valkyries began play last year.

For Golden State, Gabby Williams finished with 14 points but made just 3 of 15 shots. She was the only Valkyries player to score more than 10 in Game 1, with 26, but the team shot only 7 of 24 from 3-point range.

"We shot terribly," guard Veronica Burton said. "We missed shots we normally make."

Foul trouble nearly cost the Dream, but Reese delivered when it mattered. She went scoreless in the second half of the opener, yet two days later produced key baskets and crucial defensive plays, finishing 10 of 16 from the field with three assists and two blocks.

"We watched the film and saw our mistakes. When I said the opponent wasn't doing anything to disrupt us, it was really us," Reese said. "And we could see that in tonight's game. We're going to keep this going when we get to Atlanta. Atlanta, come out to the arena and cheer — I'm looking forward to it."

Atlanta scored 24 points off 19 Golden State turnovers, handing the Valkyries their first loss in regulation since a 73-70 defeat to Chicago on Aug. 21. The Dream managed just eight points off turnovers in Game 1, but returned to the defensive formula that carried them to the Finals.