Valkyries Beat Dream 67-62 to Even WNBA Finals at 2-2 as Angel Reese Goes 2-for-12

After a 27-point blowout in Game 3 gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead, the WNBA Finals have been reset. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Golden State Valkyries beat the Dream 67-62 at State Farm Arena to make it 2-2.

The Dream scored 62 points, their fewest in any game this season, playoffs included.

Reese's worst game of the series

Angel Reese went 2-for-12 from the field and finished with eight points, nine rebounds, six turnovers and three assists. It was the first game of the Finals without a double-double from her.

In the two Atlanta wins she had averaged 25.5 points and 14 rebounds. Her lowest field-goal percentage of Atlanta's 2026 playoff run came on Saturday.

She was scoreless in the first quarter and had four points, five turnovers and three fouls at halftime. Two of the fouls were offensive. In the fourth she missed her first five shots: three layups, a tip and a short hook.

Her first field goal since the second quarter was a driving layup with 1:36 left that cut the deficit to 64-59. She had missed six layups before it, one of them blocked by Kiah Stokes. She did pick up three blocks and a steal on the other end.

On Friday, Reese had said she could take Golden State's confidence and "mess them up." She put Saturday on herself.

"I think I rushed a lot of my shots, and I didn't take my time and finish around the basket like I've been doing in the last three games," Reese said. "It happens, and I'm just looking forward to the next game, and I'll just be better."

How Golden State won it

The Valkyries led 42-26 at halftime after closing the second quarter on an 18-6 run. Atlanta took 19 shots in the first half to Golden State's 40 and committed 14 turnovers.

The Dream cut it to six in the third on an Isobel Borlase three-pointer, but Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams answered and Golden State led 54-45 going into the fourth.

Atlanta got within 61-55 midway through the fourth, and the sellout crowd of more than 17,000 rose. Veronica Burton hit a three to push it back to 64-55. Rhyne Howard later completed a three-point play with 28 seconds left to make it 66-62. Burton made one of two free throws, and Atlanta could not score on the other end.

Atlanta shot 33.3% overall and 4-for-23 from three. The Valkyries turned 18 Dream turnovers into 16 points and committed only nine of their own. They also took 18 more field-goal attempts than Atlanta.

Williams led Golden State with 17 points. Hayes added 13, seven of them in the fourth quarter. Stokes grabbed 16 rebounds, eight of them offensive, and blocked three shots.

Stokes now has 14 blocks through four games, a Finals record. The old mark of 12 belonged to Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles. Howard led Atlanta with 19 points.

The adjustments

Coach Natalie Nakase changed the starting lineup. Hayes and Kaila Charles replaced Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini.

Williams said the biggest change was effort, not personnel. She had told NBC broadcasters after Game 3 that she did not recognize her team.

"Again, defense," Williams said Saturday. "I'm sorry if I sound redundant but we just picked up our ball pressure. We're a bit more connected today and that gives us our energy."

She also said the Valkyries had been too passive about officiating in Game 3. "We were expecting a foul call, we were expecting this, but this is the Finals. It's going to be physical. It's going to be tough, so we have to woman up," she said.

Hayes said the team "just had to have more fight, more grit, and get back to us."

Anthem absences continue

Both teams again left the floor moments before the national anthem and returned seconds after it ended. It was the fourth straight game of the Finals with the absence. Fox News reported that players and coaches have declined to explain it despite criticism.

What comes next

Game 5 is Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco, on USA Network and Peacock. Golden State started the Finals up 1-0, and Atlanta took Game 2 in San Francisco. A Game 3 blowout loss was followed by a Valkyries win in Atlanta.

The Dream swept Washington and New York in the first two rounds, and Reese averaged 19.4 points and 10.3 rebounds through eight playoff games before Saturday. Whether Atlanta's offense recovers from a 33% shooting night is the question hanging over Monday.