Losing Game 6 would mean losing the championship, and Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese refused to let the Dream go down without forcing a Game 7. Gray led the way with 23 points despite still dealing with the hand injury she suffered in Game 1 of the semifinals.
Howard also cracked the 20-point mark in her most efficient shooting game of the series yet. She made six of her 11 field-goal attempts and shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
Howard has steadily improved her efficiency throughout the finals. She shot 21.4% from the field in Game 1. By Game 3, she shot 36.4% in a dominant 97-71 win. The Dream didn't win Game 4 or Game 5, but Howard kept improving her shooting percentage to 42.9% and then 46.7%. In Game 6, she cracked the 50% mark for the second time this postseason.
If Howard can continue that steady increase in efficiency and points, it could give the Dream the edge they need to beat the Valkyries at home in Game 7 and win the franchise’s first championship. The Dream need to get a lot of things right to win the title in Ballhalla. They need to enforce their style of play, Angel Reese needs to play with the same energy she has shown in all of Atlanta’s wins, and, more than anything, they need to continue to make shots. Howard and Gray are the key to achieving the latter.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have to replicate their Game 6 success
Gray and Howard led the Dream with 44 points on 9-of-13 shooting from behind the arc. It was a phenomenal performance from the two All-Star guards, and they will have to do it again.
This series has been all about dictating the style of play. Whichever team can enforce its style and make the other team uncomfortable wins.
The Valkyries will try to make Game 7 a slow-paced rock fight. The Dream cannot let them do that because that’s the type of game they have not been able to win in this finals series. They have to make shots early, dictate the game with their defense, and push the pace. That all starts with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. If they are making shots, whether it’s shots at the rim or 3-pointers, it gives the Dream an offensive edge, and that could very well decide the championship.
The Valkyries can defend like no one else. That’s how they have won games in the finals. But they have also struggled offensively. They only scored more than 70 points once and are shooting just 34.5% from the field for the series. If Gray and Howard are putting up big scoring numbers, it will be difficult for the Valkyries to keep up.
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