Valkyries, Ballhalla prove vincible as Dream rolls in WNBA Finals Game 2 to even series

Sports admin October 20, 2026 0 Comments

Valkyries, Ballhalla prove vincible as Dream rolls in WNBA Finals Game 2 to even series

SAN FRANCISCO – The Ballhalla playoff magic is no longer unbeatable at Chase Center.

In Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night, the Golden State Valkyries left their offense in the halftime locker room and couldn’t stop Atlanta star forward Angel Reese, who scored 30 points and snagged 16 rebounds as the Dream pulled away late in the third quarter and routed the Valkyries 79-65.

The Chase Center fans continued chanting G-S-V well after the final whistle sounded and cheered Golden State’s players as they walked off the court. But they couldn’t solve the Valkyries’ cold shooting, and Golden State will have to make improvements on the road to retake control of the series.

With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 will be played in Atlanta on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET.

Reese led all scorers and was supplemented by a robust effort from teammate Allisha Gray, the shifty guard who added 18 points in her second game back from a hand injury that kept her out of Games 2 and 3 of the Dream’s WNBA semifinals sweep of the New York Liberty. Jordin Canada chipped in 13 and also had 10 assists.

Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 14 points as Golden State shot 34.4% from the field. Tiffany Hayes added 14 off the bench.

Monday’s loss was Golden State’s first playoff defeat in San Francisco and its first loss at home since Aug. 19 against the Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries had won seven in a row at Ballhalla since then.

The Valkyries led 21-18 after a quarter as both teams got their offenses going to a fuller extent than in Game 1. Reese got off to another strong start with eight points after scoring 11 in the first quarter of Saturday’s matchup.

Kaila Charles made an early impact for the Valkyries with six points off the bench.

Reese remained aggressive in the second quarter and finished the half with 15 points despite picking up her third foul midway through the period. Rhyne Howard was whistled for her third foul 12 seconds into the quarter and her fourth with 4:14 left.

Yet Atlanta weathered the storm and finished the half with a 39-37 lead. Gray, in her second game back from injury, had 11 points.

Hayes was once again a spark off the bench as the Valkyries’ starters struggled to find good looks offensively. Williams had nine at the break.

Golden State shot 50% from 3-point range in the first quarter but cooled in the second period, finishing the half at 27% (3 of 11).

That cold finish to the half only got frostier in the third.

Neither team led by more than six points in the first half and most of the third quarter, but Atlanta went up 60-46 to end the third quarter on Jordin Canada’s buzzer-beater 3-pointer. The Valkyries’ offense lacked creativity, shot creation, and most importantly shot-making as Golden State scored just nine points in the period.

Reese remained aggressive and finished the third with 24 points and 11 rebounds without committing another foul.

The Valkyries also struggled with turnovers, finishing with 19.

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This story was originally published October 19, 2026 at 11:08 PM.