You could argue that the Atlanta Dream won Game 3 of the WNBA Finals with 40 seconds left in the opening quarter.
That’s when Angel Reese drilled a three-pointer, the first of two she made on Wednesday night, and handed the Dream a 22-12 lead over the Golden State Valkyries.
Of course, there were still three quarters to go, and the Valkyries did tie up the score at 48 in the third. But the Dream roared to the finish line, ending the game on a 49-23 run to win 97-71.
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The win continued an impressive Reese-related streak for Atlanta.
Between the regular season and the playoffs, the Dream now has a 15-0 record when Reese hits at least one three-pointer.
The Dream when Angel Reese hits a three: ✅ W (+16 CON) ✅ W (+7 CHI) ✅ W (+9 LAS) ✅ W (+9 SEA) ✅ W (+12 TOR) ✅ W (+15 LVA) ✅ W (+36 LAS) ✅ W (+44 CON) ✅ W (+25 CHI) ✅ W (+15 WAS) ✅ W (+10 NYL) ✅ W (+3 NYL) ✅ W (+2 NYL) ✅ W (+14 GSV) ✅ W (+26 GSV) A perfect 15-0 https://t.co/w9eH2kXFN9
— Wes (@bloghawk) October 22, 2026
This is a facet of Reese’s game that began to develop in Chicago and has only been enhanced under Dream coach Karl Smesko and his staff.
Smesko and the Dream reworked Reese’s shooting mechanics, and as the 2026 season progressed, she became a more efficient shooter — erasing one of the main criticisms of her game.
Now a more confident player from outside the restricted area, Reese is feeling it in the Finals, where she has the inside track on MVP honors if the Dream keep playing as they have in Games 2 and 3.
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