When the Atlanta Dream traded for Angel Reese on April 6, they were thinking ahead to the end of a season that hadn’t yet started, plotting for the impact this young star would have on deep post-season runs and what she could bring on nights like Wednesday night.
A Reese double-double has become commonplace over her first three years in the league. But even after averaging 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds in the regular season, it was never certain that she’d be able to maintain that same level of production in her first WNBA post-season.
In reality, she’s improved.
Reese is the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to start a series with three consecutive double-doubles. She's averaging 21.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game this series, even after she went scoreless in the second half of Game 1.
With 21 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals, Reese led the Dream to an impressive 95-71 victory over the Golden State Valkyries to put her team up 2-1 in the best-of-seven Finals.
It felt like Golden State didn’t show up for the first five minutes of play. Their shooting dried up and they kept accidentally passing the ball to the other team. On the flip, Atlanta found its rhythm from three, dialled in on defence and put on a show at home.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest takeaways from Game 3.
Atlanta locked in
Two things can help signal how the Dream are feeling: Reese’s trash talk and her three-point shooting.
When Reese is really dishing out smack talk, pay attention; it means she’s feeling confident and it usually leads to big stops and bigger production. And, if she’s doing that while deliberately lining up from deep, it's a sure sign of trouble.
Reese was caught talking a big game on Wednesday and was a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Golden State didn’t stand a chance.
Even so, when you break down Atlanta’s success, it doesn’t all come from Reese. She may set the tone, but it’s Jordin Canada’s eight assists and gritty drives to the net that add bulk scoring. A clutch energy-altering three from Isobel Borlase and 15 points from Naz Hillmon can all make the difference.
The Dream executed multiple extended runs throughout the game to take back the lead every time the Valkyries teased a comeback. They limited their own turnovers and scored 22 points off of 17 Valkyries turnovers. Atlanta played true to its quick style of play, scoring in transition and controlling the flow for the second game in a row.
First quarter nightmare
The Valkyries crumbled in the opening minutes. They took nine trips down the court and came back with zero points. Their poor bench spent most of the first quarter standing, waiting for the first basket to fall, and the struggling starters were no help in achieving that mission.
Shot after shot rattled off the rim or missed wide. Layup, mid-range or three, it didn’t matter; the Valkyries couldn’t find a way to make them fall.
Eventually, they opted for a handout. After an embarrassing run of misses, Kaila Charles fought her way to the charity stripe where she hit just one of her two shots to make the score 9-1.
For a team that usually scores by committee, the bench help throughout the game wasn’t a surprise. The lack of production from the starters, however, was a major downfall. With less than 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Gabby Williams hit a three that marked the first points any of the starters had scored all evening.
The first 10 minutes dug a pit the Valkyries never escaped.
Stopped, blocked and stolen
The Valkyries like to take their time with the ball. They prefer extra space and extra pace. If they're in control, they're using an entire shot clock, managing the countdown perfectly, and setting up the best shot possible. But when the Dream are there, staring them down with arms stretched wide and legs ready to pounce, that game plan doesn’t seem to stand a chance.
With Rhyne Howard, Canada, and Reese, the Dream have three of the league’s top stealers, and in Game 3, the hosts combined for nine takeaways. Howard led the way with five, just one short of her record-breaking six from Game 2, while Reese had three and Canada added one.
These big stops disrupted the Valkyries’ desired flow and did more than just end trips; they deflated offensive power.
Blocks have also rained down on both ends of the floor throughout the series. With Kiah Stokes lining up against Atlanta’s height, it has been difficult for anyone to put up an uncontested shot. The Dream had blocks from all positions as they finished with four. The Valkyries were just above them with five, three of which came from Stokes.
Zandalasini and Salaun
Across the lineup, the Valkyries have work to do on offence. Still, two new faces made their way to the top of the scoresheet for their first considerable impact of the series.
Cecilia Zandalasini started but was pulled after less than three minutes. The starter has become familiar with this sort of short leash throughout the playoffs. Head coach Natalie Nakase is known for using the bench, and in situations when she feels the starters might be struggling — like when Zandalasini missed back-to-back jumpers in the opening minutes — she’ll make a fast change.
Zandalasini, however, wasn’t willing to have that first 2:51 define her game. When she returned to the court the next quarter, her shots began to drop. By the end of the night, she was 4-for-5 from behind the arc and finished tied for third most points on her team.
Janelle Salaun also turned her shooting game around. In each of the first two games of the series, the unanimous Sixth Woman of the Year had zero points. The double goose egg could have disrupted the entire series for one of the Valkyries' most important scorers, but on Wednesday the 25-year-old started to look like herself again. Salaun averaged 12.7 points per game during the season and finished Game 3 with 13.
A Dream environment
Atlanta heard about what happened at the Chase Center in San Francisco and decided it can’t let the West Coast have all the fun.
17,044 fans didn’t just sell out State Farm Arena; they matched the energy and volume of Ballhalla.
After the Dream made the Finals, the WNBA had to work out a plan with the Atlanta Hawks to work out to accommodate for Games 3 and 4. With the NBA regular season also beginning this week, there have been scheduling challenges. Originally, the Dream were scheduled to play at their usual home of Gateway Center Arena, a venue with a capacity of 3,500, on Thursday. To make the new stadium work, the game had to be moved up by one day.
After Game 2 in Golden State, Reese had a message for the home crowd as the team prepared to play the first WNBA Finals game in Atlanta since 2013.
“Atlanta, y’all better pull up and pop out!” she said.
