ATLANTA — Naz Hillmon threw her arms skyward, backpedaling after draining her first of three three-pointers in Game 3. Angel Reese, torso proud, met Hillmon in the center circle with an emphatic chest bump. And so the school-night rager began on Wednesday in Atlanta, with Reese the master of ceremonies and the Dream’s role players the life of the party. Setting the tone for Atlanta, Reese’s teammates matched her energy, defeating the Valkyries 97–71 to take a 2–1 lead in the WNBA Finals.
”Angel shows up in every game. Some people only show up in big games, but she’s consistent with that, and she brings her teammates along, and I think that’s exactly what happened today,” Hillmon said after the win.
It’s been a slow build for the Dream this series, but after two weary outings, Atlanta’s offense began to hum in Game 3, with five players finishing in the double figures. Reese opened the door with her 30-point explosion in Game 2, and the rest of her team stormed through the threshold at State Farm Arena.
The Dream’s offensive production came from some unlikely sources, too. Hillmon, who scored just one three-pointer in her first three pro seasons in Atlanta, made a trio of timely shots from beyond the arc. Drafted in the second round by the Dream in 2022, she is one of Atlanta’s longest-tenured players and has diversified her game under Karl Smesko’s tutelage. Since he took over as coach in 2025, Hillmon has become a consistent starter and, in many ways, the squad’s unsung hero.
“Naz, I think a lot of people miss all the things that she does,” Smesko said ahead of Game 3. “She knows the game plan in and out. She gets everybody on the same page. She helps us literally on every possession. And then it may not result in a ton of points or a ton of rebounds, but it helps our points and our efficiency.”
While Smesko has been hesitant to go to his bench in the Finals, Isobel Borlase and DeWanna Bonner played 26 and 17 minutes, respectively, and made their presence known.“Izzy, Izzy, Izzy, Oi, Oi, Oi” the Atlanta crowd yelled every time the Aussie made a big play—which happened a lot on Wednesday night. Borlase logged 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in her best game of the series.
“You can tell she looks fearless, and I think it’s because she also knows we have her back, and we’ve poured into her so much,” Reese said after Game 3. “She said that she wanted to be better defensively, and she has. You can see it. She said she didn’t want to be a liability, and you can tell on the court, like, she’s continued to step her defense up.”
The Dream’s supporting cast wanted in on ATL Barbie’s bacchanal, which kicked off in the Bay, playing with palpable inhibition Wednesday night. Smesko’s squad seems to have no ego about deeming Reese the group’s vibe curator, either, even with veterans like Jordin Canada and stars like Rhyne Howard on the roster. Reese is the conductor, and the Dream are a dutiful orchestra. And when that dynamic is in sync, it’s infectious—and the sellout State Farm Arena crowd only egged it on, riding Reese’s wavelength, too.
“Man, our fans showed up, like, they showed up in every single possession, like, Atlanta, y’all came out,” Reese said. “I appreciate y’all for coming out and supporting us and being loud on every single possession, and just cheering, and just being super consistent; we really appreciate it.”
Rivaling Golden State’s famed Ballhalla, the Dream contingent were borderline euphoric during Game 3. Ironically, it was Golden State coach Natalie Nakase who emphasized the importance of her team playing with joy ahead of tip-off, but it was the Dream who were blissed out. Following Reese’s lead, Atlanta has converted a maniacal level of competitiveness into ecstasy.
“In my heart, I’m not letting you take this from us, and I think it becomes contagious within the team,” Reese said. “They feel that confidence too, so that’s kind of been my mindset throughout the entire season, just being able to want it more than anybody else.”
Who knew unrelenting yearning could be so fun? Angel Reese did.
Add us as a preferred source on Google