The Atlanta Dream are still alive, and there’s 3 reasons why

For moments of Game 5, the Altanta Dream looked dead in the water. Angel Reese couldn’t buy a basket, Kiah Stokes was hitting threes, and a Valkyries team that at once trailed 2-1 in the WNBA Finals now held a 3-2 series lead.

But, these Finals have been unpredictable from the jump, and just as the Dream looked lifeless for moments of Game 5, the tables turned in Thursday’s Game 6. Atlanta jumped out to a 17-point first quarter lead and never looked back, led by the same three players who have carried them all season: Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese.

Howard was one of the decisive factors in Game 6; she has struggled from the field for most of the playoffs, but has found a rhythm in the last three games, adding 19 points in Game 4 and 20 points in Game 5. Since Games 4 and 5 resulted in Dream losses, Howard was On Thursday afternoon, in a must-win elimination game, Howard scored 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-6 from three, and posted 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

Allisha Gray, who missed the semifinals with a hand injury and has had a quiet WNBA Finals so far, delivered a quintessential performance, scoring 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 5-for-7 from three. (Through the first 5 games of the series, Gray shot 28.1% from the field and 19.2% from three, so Game 6 was a massive departure).

In her postgame interview, Reese share she had been making an effort to uplift Gray through her struggles.

“You that girl… You’re a superstar,” Reese said she told Gray after Game 5. “Act like a superstar, and always be a superstar. We following right behind you.”

And, Angel Reese, who struggled mightily in Games 4 and 5 after a scorching-hot start to the series, bounced back with a 15-point, 14-rebound, 6-assist performance. Reese hit several timely fourth quarter baskets, including a dagger three-pointer that gave Atlanta a 19-point lead with just under 6 minutes to go.

All three players were All-Stars this season, and on a Thursday afternoon at State Farm Arena, it showed.

In large part due to their play, Atlanta was able to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night at Ballhala.

The Valkyries’ scoring struggles continue

On the Valkyries side, Gabby Williams led the way with 26 points on 8-22 shooting to go along with 3 steals.

But, the only other player to score in the double-figures was Tiffany Hayes, who addded 15 points on 6-10 FG. Kiah Stokes (0 points on 0-2 shooting), Veronica Burton (8 points on 2-13 shooting), and Cecilia Zandalasini (9 points on 3-12 FG) all contributed less than they did in the previous two wins.

The Valkyries won several of their usual margins — they attempted more shots (70) than Golden State (62). They racked up more steals (a 10-6 advantage) and offensive turnovers (a 9-5 advantage). They turned the ball over fewer times — an 11-15 advantage. But, the they simply struggled to put the ball in the basket, shooting 31% from the field and 26% from three.

The Dream, meanwhile, shot 43% from beyond the arc in their most important game of the season. They made 6 of their first 8 three-point attempts, almost immediately changing the tenor of the series.

Game 7 between the Dream and the Valkyries tips off on Saturday night at 8pm ET at Chase Center.