Angel Reese is making history. Rhyne Howard is rewriting the record books on defense. And the Atlanta Dream are suddenly halfway to their first WNBA championship.
Reese continued her historic postseason run Wednesday night, Howard delivered another record-setting defensive performance, and the Dream overwhelmed the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena.
Reese continued her march toward the MVP trophy, leading all scorers with 21 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Howard finished with 16 points, and Naz Hillmon added 15.
Isobel Borlase (12) and Jordin Canada (10) also finished in double digits.
Atlanta leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 after consecutive victories, turning a championship matchup that began with Golden State stealing Game 1 into a chance for the Dream to seize control Saturday.
Reese became the youngest player in Finals history with back-to-back games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, joining A’ja Wilson as the only players to do so in back-to-back championship games. She also became the youngest player with three consecutive Finals double-doubles.
Howard, meanwhile, recorded five steals, becoming the first player in Finals history with at least five in consecutive games.
Gabby Williams led four Valkyries players in double digits, scoring 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting, including 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Angel Reese 3. Angel Reese steal. Rhyne Howard 3.
WHAT A SEQUENCE FOR THE DREAM AND THE SOLD OUT CROWD IS LOVING IT!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 22, 2026
Tiffany Hayes scored 14, while Cecilia Zandalasini and Janelle Salaun each scored 13.
But Atlanta’s dominance extended beyond individual milestones. The Dream shot approximately 49% from the floor, exploited Golden State’s defensive breakdowns and continued their remarkable third-quarter superiority.
For Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, the defeat prompted repeated acknowledgments of personal responsibility.
“This is on me though,” Nakase said.
Here are five takeaways from Game 3.
History, and Leading by Example
Reese’s historic production is only part of her growing influence on Atlanta’s championship pursuit.
Beyond becoming the youngest player with three consecutive Finals double-doubles, Reese has established herself as the emotional leader of a team that has responded emphatically since losing Game 1.
“Some people only show up in big games, but she’s consistent with that, and she brings her teammates along,” Hillmon said. “And I think that’s exactly what happened today from the beginning of the game.”
Reese said her leadership begins with bringing energy, regardless of whether her shots are falling.
“Like y’all not taking this from us, and that’s in my heart,” Reese said. “I think it becomes contagious within the team.”
Her championship ambitions are unmistakable. After sharing a postgame moment with former college coach Kim Mulkey, Reese recalled winning a national championship and the possibility of doing it again professionally.
“Being able to do it again with this group is going to feel even more special,” she said.
Coach got to witness history up close 🫶
Angel Reese catches up with former @LSUwbkb head coach Kim Mulkey after making WNBA history with another monster Finals performance.
21 PTS | 12 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 2 3PM
#WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinals
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 22, 2026
2. “This Is on Me” — Accepting Responsibility
Nakase didn’t try to explain away Golden State’s defensive collapse.
The Valkyries surrendered 97 points, allowed Atlanta to shoot about 49%, and struggled with communication, rotations, and defensive discipline.
Nakase repeatedly questioned whether her own instructions were contributing to the confusion.
“We weren’t communicating. We’re kind of just late on certain rotations, which was just uncharacteristic,” Nakase said.
Rather than simply blaming her players, Nakase said she needed to determine whether the defensive game plan was sufficiently clear.
Natalie Nakase on the defensive breakdowns tonight and what was the most frustrating about those shortcomings:
“Just undisciplined. We weren’t in our shifts, correctly, we weren’t communicating. We’re kind of just late on certain rotations, which was it’s just uncharacteristic. And so I have to figure out and talk to them.”
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) October 22, 2026
“They’re only going to follow my voice. They’re only going to follow my leadership. So if something’s being a little bit unclear, then that’s on me.”
Nakase also questioned her substitution patterns, wondering whether removing productive players disrupted Golden State’s momentum.
She promised more detailed individual, group and team film sessions before Game 4, along with potential changes to defensive schemes and lineup combinations.
“It’s on my shoulders,” Nakase said. “So I got to figure out maybe a couple of different schemes that could be a little bit more aggressive.”
3. Dream’s 3rd Quarter Dominance No Accident
The Dream have established a remarkable pattern throughout the Finals: They emerge from halftime playing some of their most effective basketball.
Atlanta has outscored Golden State 63-35 in third quarters through three games, an advantage that reflects deliberate preparation rather than coincidence.
“We want to be the best third-quarter team coming out at halftime because I think that takes the confidence and puts them away,” Reese said.
Hillmon, who scored 15 points Wednesday, explained that timely perimeter shooting stretched Golden State’s defense and created opportunities inside.
Same spot, same result 🎯
Naz Hillmon is dialed in from deep connecting on consecutive triples
GSV-ATL | USA Network | Peacock | #WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinals
Tap to watch:— WNBA (@WNBA) October 22, 2026
“Once we’re knocking them down, you can’t continue to help in the paint,” Hillmon said.
Coach Karl Smesko was particularly impressed with his team’s ability to overcome sloppy possessions early in the second half without requiring a timeout.
“They knew what mistakes they were making, and they huddled up,” Smesko said. “And then they started making plays.”
That collective maturity has become another advantage for Atlanta, whose scoring has increased from 64 points in Game 1 to 79 in Game 2 and 97 Wednesday.
4. Valks Must Rediscover Their Identity
Golden State’s problems extend beyond defensive breakdowns.
The Valkyries committed 17 turnovers Wednesday, continuing a troubling pattern of poor ball security that has undermined their offensive execution.
Williams acknowledged that Golden State has become unusually careless with possessions.
“I think it’s a lot of us being undisciplined, being really loose with the ball,” Williams said. “Very uncharacteristic of us.”
Hayes offered an even more pointed assessment of the team’s performance.
“I think this game they wanted it more than us, and that’s not who we are,” Hayes said. “That’s not who we’ve been, and that’s not how we got here.”
Golden State has scored just 68, 65 and 71 points in the three games, averaging 68 points while Atlanta’s offense has become increasingly productive.
YOOOO GABBY GABBY 😮💨
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) October 22, 2026
Williams emphasized the solution starts with defense rather than simply hoping shots start falling.
“We don’t want to make it about offense,” Williams said. “They score 97. We have no chance. We have to just go back to our defense, and that will get our offense going.”
The Valkyries have two days to correct their problems before facing the possibility of falling behind 3-1.
5. Halfway Home – Howard’s Historic Defense
Howard’s offensive production hasn’t always matched expectations during the Finals, but her defensive impact has been undeniable.
After recording six steals in Game 2, Howard added five Wednesday, becoming the first player in Finals history to reach that threshold in consecutive games.
She also contributed 16 points, giving Atlanta another offensive weapon while continuing to disrupt Golden State’s possessions.
“Just be better,” Howard said when asked about her approach. “Even this one wasn’t up to my liking. … Today I hit a couple more shots, and I continue to play defense.”
NO YOU MAY NOT
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) October 22, 2026
Howard also emphasized the significance of protecting Atlanta’s home court after the Dream stole Game 2 in Golden State.
“We fought for this arena, so we had to protect it,” Howard said. “We went and stole one, but we couldn’t let them come in and do the same thing.”
With approximately 17,000 fans providing an electric atmosphere, Atlanta delivered a performance worthy of its championship aspirations.
But Smesko cautioned against celebrating prematurely.
“We’re only halfway home,” he said. “This is two wins. You have to get four.”
For the Dream, the opportunity is enormous. For the Valkyries, the urgency has never been greater.
Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports writer from Las Vegas and a Staff Writer at Ballislife.com. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez
