One Game for Everything: The WNBA Finals Are Going to a Game 7 for the First Time Ever

Breakdown: The Golden State Valkyries came to Atlanta on Thursday needing one win to become champions in only their second season. The Atlanta Dream had other plans. They won 80–69 at State Farm Arena, tied the series 3–3 and set up the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history.

Atlanta didn't waste any time. The Dream opened on a 13–0 run, hit six of their first eight threes and led 32–15 after the first quarter. Golden State made just 9 of 34 shots in the first half and went into the breakdown 20. At one point, the gap reached 25.

To their credit, the Valkyries didn't fold. Gabby Williams scored 21 of her 26 points after halftime, and Golden State outscored Atlanta 43–34 in the second half while the Dream went cold, shooting just 10 of 30. The lead shrank to eight in the fourth quarter. But every time the Valkyries got close, Atlanta found a big shot, with Allisha Gray and Angel Reese both hitting threes to push the lead back out.

Gray led Atlanta with 23 points and four threes, Rhyne Howard added 21, and Reese put up a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. For Golden State, former Dream player Tiffany Hayes scored 15 before fouling out late. There was some drama, too. Veronica Burton was called for a flagrant foul in the third after contact with Howard's face.

It was a big bounce-back for Atlanta, which had lost the previous two games and scored just 22 first-half points in Game 5. And the crowd showed up even though the game tipped off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on a weekday, a start time that drew plenty of complaints.

Game 7 is Saturday at 5 p.m. at Chase Center in San Francisco. Whoever wins gets the first title in franchise history. So who are you taking?