Atlanta Dream take 2-1 WNBA Finals lead as Izzy Borlase contributes to Game 3 win
The Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Atlanta, with Borlase scoring 12 points and Angel Reese recording 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Atlanta on Wednesday, October 21, to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Australian guard Izzy Borlase scored 12 points for the Dream, who are now two wins from their first championship.
Borlase played 26 minutes and added five rebounds, two assists and a block, according to an Associated Press report carried by ABC News Australia. Her scoring included one three-pointer. Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Rhyne Howard scored 16 and Naz Hillmon added 15.
How Atlanta pulled away in Game 3
The teams were tied at 49 in the third quarter before Atlanta scored eight straight points, including four from Reese, the AP report said. Golden State cut the margin to 59-55 on a Tiffany Hayes lay-up, but Atlanta scored 12 of the quarter’s final 14 points to take control.
ESPN reported that the Dream shot 49.3% from the field after failing to reach 35% in either of the first two Finals games. Atlanta made nine three-pointers, with Hillmon and Reese combining for five. The Valkyries made 12 of their 30 attempts from beyond the arc, but their 17 turnovers produced 22 Dream points.
Atlanta also outscored Golden State by 24 points in the paint and won the rebounding contest by three, according to ESPN. The Dream had led 9-1 after five minutes as Golden State missed its first eight shots, though the Valkyries recovered to make it 13-10 before consecutive Hillmon three-pointers and another from Reese.
Game 4 and the first WNBA title at stake
The result followed Atlanta’s Game 2 win, which had tied the series at 1-1. The Dream will host Game 4 at State Farm Arena on Saturday, October 24, at 1 p.m. Eastern time, according to ESPN; that is Sunday in Australian eastern daylight time. ESPN said the series would return to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday.
Both finalists are seeking a first WNBA title. Atlanta reached three previous Finals and was swept each time; Golden State has reached the championship series in its second season. The AP report said more than 17,000 fans attended Wednesday’s sold-out game, with Game 4 also sold out.
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Sources and context
- Aussie Borlase on winning side as Atlanta Dream leads WNBA FinalsABC News Australia (AP/ABC attribution in article)
- How the Dream ran over the Valkyries to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA FinalsESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.