You can’t fake desperate.
With their season on the line, the Atlanta Dream took on the Golden State Valkyries in their Thursday matinee and said, “Not today!,” to an end to their season, beating Golden State 80-69 to win Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals and force a winner-take-all Game 7.
This contest was over early.
The Dream came through like a hurricane, scoring
32 in the first quarter. It was the highest-scoring quarter by either team in this series. On the afternoon, Atlanta made 13 3-pointers. They played with a level of execution and offensive firepower the Valkyries could never match.
The Dream led by as many as 25 and, although the Valkyries would chip away, cruised to a victory.
The offense flowed for the Dream right away. Allisha Gray and Naz Hillmon converted on a pair of 3s to start the game. Then Gray scored on a layup, and Angel Reese got on the board, scoring while getting fouled.
Midway through the period, the Dream were up 11-4.
Things got worse for the Valkyries. They couldn’t buy a basket, and Atlanta kept piling on. Gray was scoring from beyond the arc, and so was Rhyne Howard. Golden State missed seven-straight shots, and the Dream went on a 13-0 run.
Gabby Williams ended the scoring drought with a 3, but it didn’t start an offensive surge for the Valkyries. The Dream stayed red-hot from deep, hitting six of eight 3-pointers in the first. After one quarter, Atlanta led 32-15.
The Valkyries couldn’t get their offense going during the second quarter, either. They made only one field goal in the first five minutes of the period. Atlanta, meanwhile, kept getting what they wanted offensively. Reese drilled a corner 3, Isobel Borlase got into the paint and scored and Howard was in double figures with a team-high 11 points at the half.
At the start of the third, it was the Dream that again struck first.
Atlanta started on a 7-2 run, and Howard led the charge. She knocked down a 3 and scored on a pair of free throws after Veronica Burton committed a flagrant foul on her. Golden State couldn’t buy a bucket. They got into the paint but missed layup after layup.
Unable to score and with the Dream offense continuing to flow, the deficit didn’t decrease by a significant margin. After three quarters, Atlanta led 63-47.
Atlanta’s celebration continued in the fourth. After Reese hit a 3 midway through the period, State Farm Arena erupted, and the result was all but secured.
The Valkyries made one final push. Williams attacked the rim and led a rare offensive surge for Golden State. However, with time dwindling and the deficit being so large, it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Gray nailed a corner 3 to keep the lead in double figures and seal the win.
Howard had her best game of these WNBA Finals. She had 21 points and shot 54 percent from the field. Reese had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Gray had 23 points and went 5-for-7 from deep. For the Valkyries, Williams had 26 points. Tiffany Hayes scored 16.
Golden State will host Game 7 against Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco.
