Reese keeps Dream rolling in Game 3 to take series lead in WNBA Finals — SkimNews
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- Angel Reese posted 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3, following her 30-point, 16-rebound effort in Game 2, as the Dream beat the Valkyries 97-71 to take a 2-1 WNBA Finals lead.
- Atlanta has dominated third quarters across the series, outscoring Golden State 63-35 in that period over the three games, with an 8-0 run in Game 3 breaking a 49-49 tie.
- Rhyne Howard added 16 points and Naz Hillmon chipped in 15 for the Dream, while Gabby Williams (15) and Tiffany Hayes (14) led the Valkyries.
- Games 3 and 4 were relocated from Gateway Center Arena (3,500 seats) to State Farm Arena (17,000+ seats) in a league-Hawks arrangement to accommodate larger crowds; Wednesday's game and Saturday's are both sold out, with rapper Ludacris among the attendees.
- WNBA Finals ratings hit a high-water mark: Game 1 on NBC averaged 2.1 million viewers, the most ever for a Finals opener, while Game 2 on USA Network averaged 1.33 million.
Why it matters: The Dream's first-ever WNBA Finals victory (Game 2) and now a 2-1 series lead position a franchise that had never won a finals game to potentially clinch a championship at home on Saturday. The league moved the remaining Atlanta games into a 17,000-seat arena and they're both sold out — a concrete signal that demand is outstripping the Valkyries' typical venue capacity. Reese's consecutive double-doubles (30/16 then 21/12) make her the clear focal point of a series drawing record viewership.
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