WNBA Finals Game 3 tips off Wednesday night at State Farm Arena (8 p.m. ET, USA/CNBC/Peacock), with the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries deadlocked 1-1 in a best-of-seven series that has already made history.
The Dream seized momentum Monday with a 79-65 Game 2 win at Chase Center — the franchise’s first-ever WNBA Finals victory after nine previous defeats across three appearances. Angel Reese was unstoppable: 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 16 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game.
Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals, and Jordin Canada added 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as Atlanta broke the game open with a 29-8 run spanning the third quarter.
Valkyries searching for answers
Golden State, which took Game 1 68-64, managed just nine third-quarter points on Monday. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 14 points, the bench outscored Atlanta’s reserves 33-11, but 19 turnovers and zero fast-break points told the story.
Now the expansion-side Valkyries — the No. 2 seed after sweeping Las Vegas in the semis — must win on the road to reclaim control.
What decides Game 3
Can Reese repeat her dominance against Golden State’s frontcourt? Will Howard’s defense continue to smother the Valkyries’ guards? And can Atlanta protect home court in front of what promises to be a raucous State Farm Arena crowd?
Game 4 follows Saturday in Atlanta. With the series guaranteed at least five games, the 2026 Finals are delivering exactly the theater the league hoped for.
History is being made nightly in this series. Game 1’s 68-64 Valkyries win announced Golden State as a legitimate contender in just its first Finals appearance, while Atlanta’s Game 2 triumph was the franchise’s first Finals victory after nine previous defeats. Angel Reese’s 30-point, 16-rebound masterpiece made her the youngest player ever with a 30/15 Finals game, and Rhyne Howard’s six steals set a Finals record. Game 4 is set for Saturday back in Atlanta — and this series feels destined for seven.
With the series guaranteed at least five games and the atmosphere building nightly, the 2026 Finals are delivering exactly the theater the league hoped for.
