Atlanta Dream crush Golden State to take lead in WNBA finals

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA finals. Angel Reese led the charge for Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds, continuing a strong run that included 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2. Australian guard Izzy Borlase also contributed 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in 26 minutes on the court. Rhyne Howard added 16 points for the Dream, while Naz Hillmon chipped in with 15. For the Valkyries, Gabby Williams scored 15 points and Tiffany Hayes added 14, but starters Kiah Stokes, Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton were limited to just five points combined on 2-of-11 shooting. State Farm Arena hosted the game in front of a sold-out crowd after schedule conflicts with the Atlanta Hawks and a concert threatened to move the match to a smaller venue. Celebrities including Kerry Washington, Ludacris, Cam Newton, Quavo and TI attended the sold-out game, while LSU coach Kim Mulkey watched from the stands. The win sets up Game 4 in Atlanta on Saturday.

Context

Teams in professional basketball work hard to secure home-court advantage because playing in front of a passionate local crowd can disrupt visiting opponents. The WNBA finals format gives teams alternating home games across a best-of-seven series to decide the season champion.