The Atlanta Dream are closing in on their first WNBA championship, and Angel Reese continues to prove she's a bona fide superstar with another historic postseason performance. Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta dominated the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. The victory gave the Dream a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and moved the franchise within two wins of its first championship.
Reese shot 7-for-12 from the field, including two 3-pointers, while adding three assists and three steals. The performance marked her third consecutive double-double in the Finals, extending an impressive stretch on basketball's biggest stage. The two-time WNBA All-Star has been rewriting the record books throughout the season.
In Game 2, Reese recorded 30 points and 16 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to finish a Finals game with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds. She also joined Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones as the only players to reach those numbers in a WNBA Finals game. Her postseason success follows a historic regular season in which she established WNBA single-season records with 32 double-doubles and 521 rebounds.
Reese also became the fastest player in league history to reach 1,000 career rebounds, accomplishing the milestone in just 79 games. Wednesday's victory showed why her impact extends beyond individual accomplishments. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at State Farm Arena, Atlanta used its defensive pressure and balanced offensive attack to take control of the game.
The Dream forced 15 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 22 points, preventing Golden State from establishing a consistent offensive rhythm. After the Valkyries briefly tied the game in the third quarter, Atlanta responded with a decisive run and carried a 71-57 advantage into the fourth. Golden State struggled to recover, eventually falling by 26 points.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 14 points but shot just 5-for-18 from the field as Atlanta's defense continued to create problems. The Dream will look to move one step closer to their first WNBA championship when they host Game 4 on Saturday. Reese has already made history with her individual accomplishments, but now she has an opportunity to achieve something even greater: becoming a WNBA champion.
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