76 to 64: The margin that slipped away from the Dream in the WNBA Finals

The Las Vegas Aces outscored the Atlanta Dream 76 to 64 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals to close out the series. The final margin erased the Dream's two-game lead and ended their championship run. It was the largest margin of victory for an Aces team in a Finals game since 2022.

The Dream started the year as the dominant force in the league. They posted a 31-2 record in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the top seed. Their path to the Finals was clear, with a 4-0 sweep in the first round and a 4-2 win in the second. They defeated the New York Liberty in the semifinals to reach the championship series.

The Aces took control of the first two games of the Finals. The Dream won Game 3 of the series 64 to 76, but the Aces had already built a 2-0 series lead. The Dream struggled to find their rhythm against a Las Vegas squad that had won the previous year's title. The series shifted in Game 4, which the Dream won 78 to 74 to force a decisive Game 5.

Game 5 was decided by a third-quarter collapse. The Dream fell behind by as much as 13 points in the third quarter. Las Vegas center A'ja Wilson controlled the paint and limited Atlanta's options. The Dream's offense stalled, and they could not recover from the deficit.

Angel Reese, a forward for the Dream, said the loss was difficult to accept. She described the team as a great group that had changed her life. Reese stated, "It is tough in the moment, but we’ll be back. And I always say, ‘Delayed, not denied.’" She added that the team would not forget the experience.

The Dream's season ended with a 2-1 series loss. The Aces defended their title and secured their second consecutive championship. The Dream finished with a 31-2 regular season record and a 1-2 playoff record against the Aces in this series. Their next scheduled event is the offseason, with free agency and the draft coming next.

Reese said the team would use the experience as fuel. She noted that the group would come back together next year. "We are going to be back," she said. The Dream will return to training camp in the fall, aiming for another deep run in the playoffs.