Dream win to set up WNBA Finals decider
Atlanta Dream deny the Golden State Valkyries their first WNBA Finals victory after an 80-69 win forces the series into a seventh and deciding game on Sunday.
The Atlanta Dream secured a crucial 80-69 victory over the Golden State Valkyries, pushing the WNBA Finals series to a decisive seventh game. The Valkyries, who entered the match in Atlanta trailing 3-2, began the contest poorly, trailing 32-15 at the first quarter's end. The Dream, however, maintained a strong lead throughout, taking a commanding 46-26 advantage at halftime.
Although Golden State star Gabby Williams delivered a solid 26-point performance, Angel Reese, Reese's first season with the Dream after being traded from the Chicago Sky, fell short of her usual rebounding numbers with 14. Karl Smesko's side demonstrated resilience and dominance, ensuring the thrilling series continued. Originally slated for 8:00 PM local time at Gateway Center Arena, Game Six was relocated to State Farm Arena and shifted to 12:30 PM local time due to scheduling conflicts with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Dream, now facing their first Finals appearance, expressed disappointment over the scheduling changes but vowed to honor their city's support at their new venue, State Farm Arena, which had a larger capacity of 16,888 and was sold out for the game. Despite their recent setbacks, the hosts entered the pivotal deciding match at San Francisco's Chase Center with confidence on Sunday at 12:00 AM BST.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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