The WNBA had numerous reasons to expand the Finals from five games ahead of the 2025 season.
asserted
WNBA → have → season
Now in Year 2 of the revamped format, the league will hold its first-ever Game 7 with a first-time champion awaiting on either side.
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champion → revamp → side
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4LeBron → hold → 76ers
The fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream made sure the series went the distance, leaving no doubt in an 80-69 victory over the visiting second-seeded Golden State Valkyries on Thursday afternoon.
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series → seed → afternoon
“It’s such a great opportunity.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
I think our team is ready for it,” Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko said of the winner-take-all game on Saturday night in San Francisco.
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Smesko → think → Francisco
“We’ll take the next day to get as prepared as we can and make any adjustments that need to be made. …
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that → take → adjustments
There’s a mentality right now of, ‘We’re happy we won, but we know the job is not done.’
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job → ’ → ?
We’ve got one more game.
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We → get → game
We expect to go out there and play great.”
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We → expect → ?
Allisha Gray, hampered by a hand injury throughout the postseason, scored 23 points on five 3-pointers in a Game 6 that saw the Dream connect on 13 3-pointers while holding Golden State to 26 first-half points.
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Dream → hamper → points
Rhyne Howard added 21 points and Angel Reese posted 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for Atlanta, which didn’t trail after the game’s opening minute.
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which → add → minute
Jordin Canada chipped in 10 points in a win under unusual circumstances.
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Canada → chip → circumstances
The game was turned into a matinee by the league, which pushed the start time up to accommodate the Atlanta Hawks’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
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which → turn → night
Despite the awkward tip time, a packed State Farm Arena saw the biggest win in franchise history — so far.
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Arena → see → history
“First, shoutout to the crowd,” Reese said.
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Reese → say → crowd
“To be able to come here at 12:30 on a Thursday with so many things going on in the world from school to work, we’re just super thankful.
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we → come → work
We fed off their energy.
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We → feed → energy
They were super loud from the beginning.”
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points, while Tiffany Hayes scored 15.
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Hayes → lead → 15
Golden State, still in just its second season in the league, made just seven of its 27 3-point attempts (25.9 percent).
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State → make → attempts
“I want to go back and look at the film and find solutions on where my message wasn’t delivered correctly,” Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said.
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Nakase → want → solutions
“I’ll give them some space right now to rest and recover, but then probably have some reflection moments on the plane ride home.”
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I → give → home
After Williams made a free throw to cut Golden State’s early deficit to 6-5, Atlanta rattled off 13 straight points — including five apiece from Gray and Canada — to give the Dream a 19-5 edge.
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Atlanta → make → edge
Williams stopped the bleeding with the Valkyries’ first 3-pointer of the game, but that was answered with consecutive Howard treys to make it 25-8.
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it → stop → treys
Atlanta made six of eight 3-pointers in the first quarter and took a 32-15 lead into the second.
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Atlanta → make → second
“It was just frustrating,” Nakase said of the Valkyries’ first quarter.
asserted
Nakase → say → quarter
The Dream’s offensive barrage continued into the second quarter, as Reese’s first 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper by Howard extended the margin to 25 with 4:20 left in the first half.
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pointer → continue → half
Hayes made a triple and reserve Laeticia Amihere closed the first half with a layup to cut Golden State’s halftime deficit to 46-26.
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Amihere → make → 46
The Valkyries outscored Atlanta 21-17 in the third quarter and pulled within 16 on Kaila Charles’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
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Valkyries → outscore → pointer
Golden State continued to trim Atlanta’s lead in the fourth, as Williams’ layup made it 68-55 with 6:50 remaining.
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it → continue → 6:50
The Dream then responded with 3-pointers by Gray and Reese to push the lead back to 19.
asserted
Dream → respond → 19
Williams completed a three-point play at the 1:15 mark to pull the Valkyries within eight, but Gray sank her fifth trey on the other end to stamp Atlanta’s pivotal victory.
asserted
Gray → complete → victory
“We know when we play Atlanta Dream basketball and support each other and move the ball, we’re successful,” Gray said.
asserted
Gray → know → ball
“The biggest thing for us is just executing our offence.”
asserted
thing → execute → offence
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