The Atlanta Dream kept their championship hopes alive with an 80-69 victory over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday, forcing the first Game 7 in league history. Played at 12:30 p.m. ET before a sold-out State Farm Arena crowd, the Dream overcame early shooting struggles to dominate the first half, building a lead as large as 25 points.
Allisha Gray led Atlanta with a team-high 23 points, including a crucial 3-pointer late in the game that sealed the win. Angel Reese contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while veteran DeWanna Bonner's pre-game confidence proved prophetic. The Dream shot 73.3% from the field and 75% from three-point range in the opening quarter after struggling to reach 35% for the series.
Golden State, seeking its first title in just its second season, never regained the lead after the Dream's early surge. The Valkyries outscored Atlanta in the second half but could not close the gap below nine points. A halftime performance by T-Pain energized the home crowd, whose chants of "ATL HOE" echoed through the arena as the final buzzer sounded.
Game 7 will take place Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco. "Job's not done," Reese said. "We definitely can be happy about it for now, but we have more work to do."
