Angel Reese had 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Atlanta Dream kept their season alive with an 80-69 win over the Golden State Valkyries on 29 October 2026. It was Reese’s fourth double-double of the series, in her first season with Atlanta after a trade from the Chicago Sky.
“We needed the opportunity. That's all we needed, and we maximized it today. I'm just really proud of this group. The job is not done, and I'm looking forward to it. One more. Job's not done,” Reese said after the game.
The Thursday afternoon game tipped off at 12:30 p.m. local time at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It had been moved from Gateway Center Arena, which has a capacity of 3,500, and brought forward from its originally scheduled 20:00 local time start.
State Farm Arena, listed at a capacity of 16,888, was sold out, with approximately 17,099 fans in the building. Some fans joked that they would leave with “a better taste in their mouths” before returning to work after the daytime game.
Golden State arrived holding a 3-2 lead, one victory from a championship in its second season in the league. Atlanta had lost Games 4 and 5 after taking a 2-1 series lead, scoring 62 and 55 points in those defeats.
Before Game 6, Atlanta’s players met without coaches. Naz Hillmon urged them to remember who they were, a message that helped restore the team’s confidence.
The response came immediately. Atlanta scored 32 points in the first quarter, led 32-15 after it, and shot 73.3% from the floor while making six three-pointers.
The Dream extended their advantage to 46-26 by half-time and built a lead of 25 points before the break.
Allisha Gray, a 10-year veteran, led Atlanta with 23 points and five three-pointers, adding six rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Rhyne Howard scored 21 points, with four three-pointers, four rebounds and four assists.
Atlanta made 13 three-pointers in all. Golden State went seven for 27 from three-point range, or 25.9 percent.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points, three three-pointers and three steals. Golden State cut the margin to 13 early in the fourth quarter and then reached 77-69 with one minute and 15 seconds remaining, yet Atlanta closed out the victory.
The result levelled the best-of-seven Finals at 3-3 and forced the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. The league expanded the Finals to a seven-game format ahead of the 2025 season.
Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, 31 October at the Chase Center in Golden State, with tip-off at 8:00 PM ET, or 1am GMT on Sunday. Both teams are pursuing their first championship.
For Atlanta, the chance carries particular weight. The Dream had previously recorded zero wins and 10 defeats in the Finals, following 3-0 series defeats in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
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