The Atlanta Dream are halfway to their first WNBA championship.
The Dream took a 2-1 lead in the 2026 WNBA Finals following a 95-71 win over the Golden State Valkyries during Game 3 at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Atlanta was led by Angel Reese who had 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Rhyne Howard had 16 points and five steals. Naz Hillmon had 15 points and Jordin Canada 10 points and eight assists.
“Time to take over. Do whatever it takes to win," Reese said postgame. "I said this game, I don't want to have to say, ‘Give me the ball.’ Everybody was just playing together. It's fun when you win and you play with a great group.
"So it makes my job super easy.”
The Valkyries didn't register a field goal until the 4:38 mark of the first uqarter when center-forward Aminata Gueye hit a hook shot off the glass. They shot 35% from the field, compared to 49% from the Dream.
More: Angel Reese made Atlanta Dream turn up the heat, and Golden State burned | Opinion
Here are the winners and losers from Game 3 of the WNBA Finals:
Winners
Dream All-Star Angel Reese
Not to sound like a broken record, but Dream forward Angel Reese recorded another double-double in the Finals.
After a 30-point, 16-rebound double-double in Game 2, Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3 to mark her third consecutive double-double in the WNBA Finals. With her performance, Reese becomes the first player in WNBA Finals history to record three straight double-doubles.
Let's not forget that this is the first postseason appearance of Reese's budding career.
"When you can do it at the highest level, this is what I live for," said Reese, who added three assists and three steals in the win. "This is what the offseason is for. I put the work in for this moment and I'm just happy I can lead the team to a win and we're feeling good going into (Game 4 on) Saturday.”
Dream guard Rhyne Howard
After setting a WNBA Finals record with six steals in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, Howard followed up that performance with five steals in the Dream’s Game 3 blowout win. With her master thievery, Howard becomes the first player in WNBA Finals history to record five or more steals in consecutive games.
More importantly, Howard appeared to break out of her shooting slump with 16 points, shooting 4-of-11 from the field, 1-of-2 from the 3-point line and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line to record her highest scoring game across the 2026 WNBA Finals series.
She entered Wednesday’s matchup with the mindset to “just be better.”
"Even this (game) wasn't up to my liking,” Howard said in her postgame interview. “I got to have an impact on that side of the floor. There's no doubt about it. I know that I haven't necessarily been up to par, but today I had a couple more shots and I continue to play defense."
Howard has done a little bit of everything for the Dream, despite struggling offensively. She added four rebounds and four assists to her stat line.
“(Rhyne Howard), she came up big with her five steals,” Angel Reese said. “I think everybody contributed.”
Dream's disruptive defense
The Golden State Valkyries are praised for being a defensive team but the Atlanta Dream deserve just as much recognition for their defensive prowess. The Dream felt like they should be up 3-0 because each game they've stifled the Valkyries. Game 3 was no different.
Atlanta held Golden State to 35% shooting, including forcing 17 turnovers, scoring 22 points off those takeaways. Angel Reese nabbed three steals, while Rhyne Howard led the team with five steals.
The Dream's defense was effective early and often. Atlanta held the Valkyries to 0 points through opening 5 minutes, 22 seconds of the game.
Atlanta dominates interior
Atlanta couldn't be stopped in the paint. Reese had another double-double going for 21 points, 12 rebounds on an efficient 7-for-12 shooting. She helped fuel the Dream's domination in the paint, going right at the Valkyries defenders off the dribble, coast-to-coast on fastbreaks or sealing in the post and making a strong move.
Rhyne Howard made a couple of circus shots driving to the basket. And Jordin Canada got to the lane at will, whether she finished with a layup or found the open teammate.
The Dream outscored the Valkyries in the paint, 44-20.
Losers
Valkyries' Gabby Williams shooting struggles continue
The Dream have made things difficult for the Valkyries, especially their leading scorer Gabby Williams, who was Golden State's leading scoring in Game 3 with 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting. Williams went into a facilitating mode, racking up eight assists because her shot just wasn't falling.
Atlanta has been all over Williams throughout the entire series. In Game 2, Williams shot 3-for-15. Her best game was Game 1, when she went 8-for-22 from the field. Throughout the season, when Williams struggled another one of her teammates would step up.
It hasn't happened in the WNBA. The Dream has held Golden State to under 35% shooting this series.
Golden State Valkyries’ starters
The Golden State Valkyries are known for their depth, with the highest-scoring bench in the regular season. The Valkyries' reserves showed up big in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, but the team’s starters were missing in action.
Golden State’s starters were collectively held to three points in the first quarter. By halftime, the Valkyries’ starting lineup had accumulated 11 points.
The starting unit — made up of Gabby Williams (15 pts), Cecilia Zandalasini (13 pts), Veronica Burton (three points, four assists), Kiah Stokes (two points, three blocks) and Kayla Thornton (zero points) — finished with 33 total points.
“Sometimes shots don't fall,” said Williams, who is shooting 29.1% from the field and 28% from the 3-point line across three Finals games. “We don't want to make it about offense. They scored 97 (points). We have no chance. We have to just go back to our defense and that will get our offense going.”
Valkyries turnover problems
The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream's elite defenses are causing chaos and turnovers at a high rate. Both teams have struggled to hold on to the ball. However, Golden State's ball security is becoming alarming.
For the third straight game, Golden State averaged double-digit turnovers. And for the second straight game, there have 15 or more giveaways. In Game 2, there was 19 turnovers for 24 points. In Game 3, Atlanta scored 22 points off 17 Valkyries turnovers. If Golden State wants a chance at keeping up with Atlanta, it has to be more mindful about conceding points off turnovers while also returning the favor and forcing the Dream to also give up the ball.
"I think (this is) all about us being undisciplined. We don't really lose the ball. So, again, very uncharacteristic of us," Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes said postgame. "We have to get back to who we are. (If) they bring some pressure, we got to stay together. We gotta not get flustered, just giving the ball up. So I think it's us that has to make some adjustments."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese (again), Valkyries' turnovers among WNBA Finals winners and losers