WNBA Finals: Dream and Valkyries Tied at 44 After Third Quarter

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are tied 44 to 44 after three quarters of Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. The game is being played on Saturday night in San Francisco. This is the deciding game of the championship series.

The Dream started the contest slowly. They missed their first eight shots and did not score until Angel Reese made a layup with 4 minutes and 40 seconds left in the first quarter. The Valkyries led 14 to 12 at the end of that period. However, Atlanta turned the tide in the second quarter. They opened the half on a 9 to 0 run, starting with a three-pointer from Reese. The Dream lead grew to nine points by the end of the half. They led 30 to 24 after two quarters.

Shooting has been difficult for both teams from long range. The Dream have made three of 16 attempts from beyond the arc. The Valkyries have made one of 11. Jordin Canada leads all scorers with 13 points. Angel Reese has collected seven rebounds.

Gabby Williams drove Golden State back into the game during the third quarter. She scored 15 of her 17 total points in that period. Her scoring included three three-pointers as part of a 17 to 7 run. That run erased the Dream's nine-point advantage. The teams are now tied heading into the final period.

The starting lineup for the Dream includes Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Naz Hillmon. The Valkyries started with Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams, and Veronica Burton. Atlanta forced this Game 7 after battling back in Game 6.

The Dream are undefeated in the playoffs when Reese makes a three-point shot. The Valkyries dominated the boards in the early minutes, but Reese and Allisha Gray secured key rebounds that allowed Atlanta to score seven unanswered points in the first quarter. Veronica Burton finished the first quarter with a jumper for the Valkyries.