The Atlanta Dream watched their grip on the WNBA Finals slip away over the previous two games, but they weren’t ready to let their championship hopes end just yet. Facing elimination in Game 6, Angel Reese and Co. needed a response, and they delivered an 80-69 win that brought the series back to level and forced a decisive Game 7 against the Golden State Valkyries.

The urgency was evident from the opening minute as Veronica Burton struck first with a 17-foot step-back jumper, only for Allisha Gray to answer with a three-pointer just 15 seconds later. That exchange set the tone for an afternoon in which Atlanta refused to let Golden State dictate the game. Gray finished with 23 points, Rhyne Howard added 21, and Reese pulled down 14 rebounds to help keep the Dream’s championship hopes alive.

Yet the final score told only part of the story. From a flagrant foul and controversial officiating decisions to Atlanta’s explosive start and Reese’s historic night, Game 6 delivered plenty of drama. So with the championship now coming down to one final game, here are the biggest takeaways from the Dream’s season-saving win.

Veronica Burton’s Flagrant Foul Adds to Valkyries’ Nightmare

The Golden State Valkyries were running out of answers in the third quarter, trailing the Atlanta Dream by 23 points as they struggled to find a way back into Game 6. With the pressure mounting, a costly turnover quickly turned into another frustrating moment for Golden State, as the player who has embodied its fighting spirit found herself on the wrong side of a crucial call.

Tiffany Hayes lost possession after Allisha Gray intercepted her pass intended for Veronica Burton. Gray immediately raced toward the Valkyries’ basket, but with Hayes staying in front of her, she passed to Rhyne Howard, who drove in for a layup. So desperate to stop the Dream from extending their lead, Burton jumped in from Howard’s left side to contest the shot. However, rather than blocking the attempt, the Valkyries guard struck Howard in the face, sending the Dream guard to the floor in visible pain.

The officials quickly called a flagrant foul on Burton, sending Howard to the free-throw line. Howard converted both attempts, extending Atlanta’s lead to 53-28 and adding to Golden State’s mounting frustration.

For the Valkyries, Burton is more than just a defensive spark; she is the soul of the team that sets the tone with her relentless effort and refusal to give up on a possession. So seeing her penalized in such a costly moment only added to Golden State’s frustration as the Dream continued to pull away.

From Missed Calls to Quick Fouls, WNBA Finals Refs Leave Fans Fuming

While Atlanta continued to build its advantage, the officiating had already become a talking point among fans. The Valkyries were called for six fouls in the first quarter, compared to just two against Atlanta. However, one incident involving Veronica Burton and Naz Hillmon drew particular attention from fans.

With six minutes left in the first quarter, Golden State guard Burton received a pass from her teammate while standing under the basket without any defender on her. However, she missed an open shot as Naz Hillmon quickly made her way to Burton. Hillmon made contact with Burton’s back, and the 26-year-old went to the floor as the Dream forward grabbed the rebound. As Hillmon turned around, her leg then made contact with Burton’s face while the Valkyries guard was still on the ground.

No foul was called on this play, and that prompted fans to raise questions about the officials.

“Yo, Burton just got smacked in the face, shoved in the back on a wide-open layup, and stepped on in the face AND NO CALL? I haven’t watched much of the WNBA finals, but man these refs are crazy. I don’t care who wins, by the way. Just pretty poor officiating once again,” one fan wrote on X.

The officials remained a talking point in the second quarter as well. With 8:45 left on the clock, Hillmon was called for a loose-ball foul. Then just nine seconds later, she was whistled for another personal foul, further frustrating fans who had watched the Dream dominate the opening quarter.

“Seeee, the refs have checked into the 2nd quarter… Here there go with 2 fouls in 9 seconds on the same player… They saw how Atlanta was running and playing in the 1st, and they said, oh let’s stop this sh*t #WNBAFinals,” another fan wrote.

The controversy continued into the third quarter, with Angel Reese also finding herself at the center of a disputed moment. With the Dream leading by 25 points, Reese drove toward the basket to attempt a heavily contested shot but missed.

As she came down, she turned toward the official, seemingly expecting a foul call against the Valkyries’ defender. But when no whistle came, cameras caught Reese expressing her frustration toward the referee.

The moment soon went viral, with fans questioning why Reese was not assessed a technical foul for yelling and clapping at the ref.

With the championship on the line, the focus was supposed to be on Atlanta’s commanding performance and Golden State’s response. Instead, the officiating became another talking point as fans questioned the calls and no-calls throughout the game.

Angel Reese Goes Off on Valkyries Bench as Atlanta Dream Dominate First Quarter

Behind Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada, and Rhyne Howard, Atlanta took control early and built a 14-5 lead just over five minutes in. But it was Angel Reese who brought the extra spark, making sure the Valkyries bench felt the pressure as the Dream began to pull away.

With less than six minutes left in the first quarter and Atlanta leading 8-5, Reese drove toward the basket for a layup with Kiah Stokes tightly guarding her. Still, known for her physicality, the 24-year-old powered through the contest to finish the shot and draw a foul. And as soon as the ball went in, Reese rushed toward the Valkyries’ bench and clapped in their faces.

She then converted the free throw to complete the three-point play, giving Atlanta another early boost.

The Dream carried that energy through the rest of the quarter, especially from beyond the arc. Gray, Canada, and Howard combined for 21 points while going a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range. Atlanta knocked down six three-pointers in the opening quarter alone, already surpassing the four it made in Game 4 and matching its entire three-point total from Game 5.

Naz Hillmon also made her presence felt as she recorded five points on 2-for-2 shooting, including a three-pointer, while grabbing three rebounds. Reese added four points as Atlanta continued to build its advantage.

Golden State, meanwhile, struggled to find its rhythm, shooting just 29% from the field and committing six fouls in the opening quarter.

The Dream capitalized on those struggles to take a commanding 32-15 lead, already outscoring their entire first-half total from Game 5 and putting the Valkyries in an early hole with their championship hopes on the line.

Angel Reese Makes WNBA Finals History as Atlanta Dream’s Comeback Turns Historic

After back-to-back losses put their championship hopes in jeopardy, Reese and the Dream have responded with a historic performance.

According to Novig, Reese had reached 76 rebounds in the 2026 WNBA Finals while the game was still underway, surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ previous record of 75, set during the 2017 Finals. But that was not all.

The Dream forward also recorded her fourth double-double of the series, bringing her closer to another Finals record. Fowles remains the benchmark in that category, having recorded five double-doubles during the 2017 Finals. With Reese already at four, she is now just one double-double away from matching that mark as Atlanta looks to finish the job.

But the Dream’s dominance extended beyond Reese’s individual achievements.

Atlanta had a 20-point lead at halftime, marking the fourth-largest halftime lead in WNBA Finals history. Only three previous Finals teams had built a bigger advantage at the break: the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury each held 22-point leads in 2021 and 2014, respectively, while the Los Angeles Sparks led the Detroit Shock by 21 points in 2003.

With this win, the Dream have flipped the script in Game 6, tying the series at 3-3 and forcing a decisive Game 7. The next game promises to be a nail-biter, with both teams chasing their first championship. However, Atlanta will have one major concern heading into the winner-take-all showdown: foul trouble.

The Dream’s physicality came at a cost, as Howard fouled out with six fouls, while Reese and Hillmon each picked up five. With the championship on the line, Atlanta will need to maintain its defensive intensity without allowing foul trouble to derail its title hopes.