The Atlanta Dream seized a critical 2-1 lead in the 2026 WNBA Finals on Thursday night, delivering a crushing 97-71 victory over the Golden State Valkyries. The win was powered by a historic performance from three-time All-Star Angel Reese, who solidified her status as a postseason powerhouse by becoming the only player in league history to record consecutive double-doubles in each of her first three Finals appearances.
Reese, the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals. Her presence on both ends of the floor anchored an Atlanta defense that effectively neutralized the Valkyries’ offensive rhythm in the second half. This follows her standout 30-point performance in Game 2, which helped Atlanta level the series earlier in the week.
“We feel good… we’re still pissed that we lost the first game,” Reese said following the Game 3 victory. “We know how good we are; we know our identity. We’re all happy for sure, but it’s going to take more. The job is not finished so we’re going to keep going. It feels good when you’re in the finals, when you can do it at the highest level—this is what I live for.”
The Dream’s offensive effort was balanced, with five players reaching double figures. Rhyne Howard contributed 16 points, while Naz Hillmon added 15. However, the game’s spark plug came from the bench in the form of Australian guard Isobel Borlase. Borlase, the 21-year-old standout who recently earned the 2026 WNBL Most Valuable Player award with the Bendigo Spirit, logged 26 minutes and scored 12 points on 50 percent shooting. She added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal to the box score.
Borlase’s rise in the WNBA follows an elite trajectory; she was only the fifth player to win the WNBL MVP at age 21, joining a prestigious list of Australian stars that includes Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor, and Liz Cambage. During her MVP season in Australia, she averaged 22.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
The contest began with Atlanta asserting early dominance. Reese ignited the offense from the perimeter, hitting a three-pointer to help the Dream build a 22-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. While Golden State mounted a significant comeback in the second quarter—narrowing the deficit to six points at the half and eventually tying the game at 48-48 early in the third—the Dream refused to buckle.
Atlanta responded to the tied score with a pivotal 8-0 run that shifted the momentum back to the home side. The Dream outscored the Valkyries 25-17 in the third period, entering the final frame with a 14-point cushion. The fourth quarter saw the lead swell to as much as 21 points as Atlanta turned the game into a rout, eventually finishing with a 26-point margin.
For the Golden State Valkyries, Gabby Williams led the way with 15 points, but the expansion franchise struggled to find scoring consistency outside of their primary options. The Valkyries are in the midst of a historic run themselves; last year, they became the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in an inaugural season, and they are now contending for a title in just their second year of existence.
The series now moves toward a high-stakes Game 4, set to take place in Atlanta on Saturday. For the Dream, the stakes are deeply personal. Despite three previous trips to the WNBA Finals, the franchise has never secured a championship, with their most recent appearance coming in 2013.
With the best-of-seven series now tilting in Atlanta’s favor, the Dream are two wins away from their first title, while the Valkyries must find a way to counter Reese’s interior dominance to keep their championship hopes alive.
