Dream get ‘swagger back’ to earn WNBA championship shot

Michael Cunningham Victory at State Farm Arena sets up winner-take-all game in San Francisco. Atlanta's Angel Reese celebrates after the Dream win Game 6 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/AP) 7 minutes ago Atlanta’s major professional sports teams have played a collective 206 seasons.

They have three league championships to show for it. That number is dwarfed by the number of bitter disappointments and unbelievable collapses. There were moments Thursday when it felt like the Dream would add their name to that list.

They staggered the Valkyries from the start of Game 6, but they were wobbling near the end. The Dream’s 19-point lead was down to eight with a minute to play. Related Story Surely, they wouldn’t become the latest Atlanta team to blow their big chance.

A collective exhale filled State Farm Arena when Allisha Gray made a corner 3-pointer. The Dream went on to beat Golden State 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA finals. lliw eltit eht yalp ni rof yehT yadrutaS naS .ocsicnarF eW“ erehT“ ,haey ,now ew ew ew ot ereht eht ,taht .dias thgir yalp tuo .ytinutroppo eno won ton erom ytilatnem wonk boj si si evah yppah ”.taerg taerg tog og .emag tcepxe ”,enod hcaoc tub era dna a a ev’eW eW oksemS lraK maerD htiw lliw ot yeht .meht eht ekat tuo gninepo fo setunim ti fi woh emoh erugif emoc snoipmahc nac elttob sa dna ehT emaG maerD 6 htiw htiw rogiv eht eht dereggats .nur dehsup .noisicerp deyalp ecap ,ytinutroppo tuo-edisni ni truoc-flah retrauq-tsrif yreve dednefed detanidrooc ta dna dna a yehT ehT etatS nedloG maerD 8-13 htiw ot ot yeht eht eht erus yllaer ytinutroppo gninepo reven edam eldnah dah .yrrulf t’ndluoc hcnilc .ecnahc .pihsnoipmahc emac na a seiryklaV yehT ehT ehT maerD atnaltA htiw seirotciv koot ot ot ,semit ,emit meht eht eht eht eht eht naht detrats .trats dehsup fo ti ni morf retsaf noitanimile knirb dna seiryklaV sihT etatS nedloG semaG maerD maerD htoB .atnaltA .5 4 ... zaN“ I“ rebmemeR‘ ev’uoy uoy htiw .gninniw ohw su su ot ot hguorht kniht sgniht sgniht taht maet gniklat reggaws sratsrepus detrats emos .dias yllaer ,tniop ylno-sreyalp ruo ruo no fo gniteem dezimixam del ti evah evah sah gnitteg gnitteg ,dezisahpme enod ecnedifnoc gnieb neeb ”,kcab ,kcab ta .era dna dna dna dna elba a a eseeR legnA llA )nomlliH( eW“ eht elgnis ”.nosrep fo dedeen yreve tseb tahw eht .tog s’tahT maerD Related Story saw tnewrednu owt eerht eht .slaets .stohs derocs erudecorp stniop no no no ecanem lacidem dekool ekil tfel tsuj ni flesreh reh dnah gnibbarg yllanif ,esnefed skcolb erofeb dna osla a a ehS ehS yarG yarG emaG .slaniF ahsillA .6 32 21 )gnitoohs( ,lausu seirt .sworht eht eht derahs dedrocer .sdnuober )stniop no edam del draug .slaog eerf evif dleif ,troffe evisnefed detcelloc :llab stsissa sa dna dna lla enyhR eseeR drawoH enoyrevE maerD atnaltA 6-fo-4 tniop-3 72 91 41 12( tnew rieht eht fo gnissim ssol ni gnirud dnarb .llabteksab s’tahT tI emaG s’maerD 55-46 .5 eW“ nI“ htiw ew ew saw ,hturt ot ot ot desoppus gnicaps .dias deyalp .yalp yalp ”,ecap ruo ”.esneffo fo ekil tsuj s’ti ti woh woh gnitteg slatnemadnuf tnereffid kcab era dna a ,oS oksemS tahw rieht taht .egrus stohspans lareves gninepo dereffo fo skool ekil gnirud ehT maerD ohw noitaloiv ot eht taht .tohs tohs tohs gnirocs dednuober dehsup yalp dessap nwo tuo ssim dael ni reh reh dleh rof dekaf gnirud gnivird dettimmoc kcolc kcehc yb dekcolb erofeb dna dna dna tsniaga retfa a a a a a seiryklaV ehT ,sekotS eseeR eseeR haiK yarG yarG semaG .5 4 retniop-3 tniop-3 .5-71 owt ot eht eht laets nar retrauq retniop ssap tuo no fo del dael ,puyal .emitflah morf tsrif dne yb yb ta ta rehtona dna dna dna retfa a a ehT ehT nidroJ lebosI drawoH nomlliH maerD maerD s’adanaC .esalroB 62-64 s3 01-13 3 01-82 htiw erew erew ot .pit yeht eht eht delggurts llits ecaps ecnatsiser .retemirep no no no ylraen tem rof dnif yreve .evird seiryklaV emiT yehT ehT cificaP ebyaM 03:21 yehT“ ,oS“ ,su ot emit eht emas ”?thgir deyalp ton s’ti evah draug .esucxe ”.retteb eb ta .deksa sa na smailliW eW seiryklaV ybbaG tnew meht eht nur tup derocstuo no .ni .emitflah evig yllanif t’ndid erofeb .yawa retfa a seiryklaV yehT ehT etatS s’yarG nedloG maerD 43-34 retniop-3 4-21 .sraey .raey now lliw eerht siht eht eht eht nur dnuor elbakramer sffoyalp tsap fo fo reven tsol ni ni emag tsrif hcae .eunitnoc erofeb a d’yehT yehT ehT slaniF s’maerD seltsihw elihw elihw nehw pu dedart ssenhguot rehtegot ot siht yeht rieht eht eht eht maet gnilggurts nosaes erocs .nruter dedivorp sreyalp revo kooltuo on dedeen tsol gnisol .pihsredael ni dloh depleh gnivig rof rof wef .tcatnoc erusopmoc degnahc erofeb dna dna retfa ehT ehS eseeR eseeR emaG maerD ratS-llA 5 eW“ I“ s’tI‘ erew su dlot yadot yadot ot ot ot eht eht eht taht nus ees .dias niar dekeep tuo ytinutroppo ton erom tnemom ezimixam elttil gniog ,slrig evag ”’,reverof dna dna syawla elba a eseeR emaG ”.7 htiw ot ot rieht eht .smaet eman dedaeh ecnahc pihsnoipmahc kcab sa era dna edisgnola dda a detinU ehT naS ocsicnarF maerD sevarB s’atnaltA ruoy pu ot thgiarts tnes won rettelswen ym ym .xobni .ereh teg rof nmuloc nac uoY ngiS Michael Cunningham has covered Atlanta sports for the AJC since 2010.

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