By Amy Tennery
Oct 29 (Reuters) – The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday in a matinee performance worthy of primetime billing, forcing a Game 7 in the WNBA Finals and bringing the party atmosphere back after frustration over scheduling issues.
A sellout crowd of 17,000 showed up at 12:30 pm ET at State Farm Arena, after conflicts with the Dream’s NBA counterparts Atlanta Hawks forced them into a midday, midweek time slot.
The Dream, who do not share an owner with the Hawks, have played their postseason games at the Hawks’ State Farm Arena after their 3,500-seat home was widely considered inadequate for the overwhelming interest in their first trip to the Finals since 2013.
“You could definitely tell we got our swagger back,” said Angel Reese, who produced 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
“Shout out to the crowd. Being able to come here, 12:30 on a Thursday – so many things going on in the world from school, to work, to everything else – we’re just super thankful.”
Their win spared the WNBA the awkward optics of crowning a champion in the middle of a weekday afternoon, as Valkyries’ fans back in the Bay were forced to tune in at 9:30 am PT to cheer on the young team’s quest for a first-ever title.
In a widely reported open letter this week, the Dream said that concerns over the schedule clash with the Hawks’ regular season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers did not get the “attention, nor the urgency that they deserved” from the WNBA.
The saga was a frustration for fans and players in a series that otherwise delivered plenty to celebrate: The Finals have drawn record viewership, with an average of 2.1 million tuning in for Game 1.
“I had no doubt that (the fans) would show up,” said Rhyne Howard, whose first-half hot streak propelled Atlanta to a 20-point lead headed into the locker room.
“Now they can leave with a better taste in their mouth – get the bottomless mimosas, enjoy the rest of their day, because I know nobody’s going back to work.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
