Atlanta's Turn to Host: Finals Game 3 Tonight at State Farm Arena, and the Third Quarter Has Been the Whole Series

By Danielle "Dee" Ortiz, RF Sports Radio WNBA Playoffs voice

WNBA fans, the Finals move east tonight, and for the first time this series the Atlanta Dream get to play in front of their own people. Golden State won the opener, Atlanta won Game 2, and now the best-of-seven turns into a best-of-five with two in Georgia.

The facts

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals is tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, on USA, CNBC and Peacock, per WNBA.com. The series is tied 1-1 after Golden State won Game 1, 68-64, and Atlanta won Game 2, 79-65, behind Angel Reese's 30 points and 16 rebounds. Game 4 is also in Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. Eastern / noon Central on NBC and Peacock. Game 5, if needed, returns to Chase Center on Monday, Oct. 26.

Full Court Buckets, which tracks its own game data, points out the swing quarter: Golden State has scored nine points in the third quarter of both Finals games, and Atlanta has won those two quarters 38-18. The Valkyries have won the other six quarters 115-105. In Game 2, Atlanta made 30 of 35 free throws to Golden State's 16 of 19. The last league injury report before Game 3, from Oct. 19, listed Atlanta's Brionna Jones (left leg) as out, per Full Court Buckets. The site also notes the game was moved to State Farm Arena and is the first WNBA Finals game in the Atlanta market since 2013.

Both teams are chasing a first title. Golden State, in its second season, was the No. 2 seed at 32-12 and swept defending champion Las Vegas in the semifinals. Atlanta set a franchise record at 30-14 and swept the 2025 champion New York Liberty, per WNBA.com. The Valkyries got here by beating the Dallas Wings 77-73 in Game 3 of the first round.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: the third quarter is not a fluke anymore. Nine points in a quarter twice in a row is a pattern, and that is on Golden State's halftime adjustments as much as Atlanta's defense. Natalie Nakase has to find something that survives the Dream's pressure after the break, or this series gets away from her in Georgia.

The free throw line is the other storyline. Reese living at the stripe is what happens when she gets deep post position. Golden State's bigs have to fight that battle before the catch, not after it.

My call: I said Atlanta takes Game 3 on Monday, and I am keeping it. Dream by eight, with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray doing more of the scoring so Reese is not the whole plan. That is a prediction, not a report.

What to watch next

Tip is 7 p.m. Central tonight on USA and Peacock. Watch the third-quarter score, the free throw attempts, and Gabby Williams' shooting after a 3-of-15 Game 2. For Reese's Game 2 takeover, read our Oct. 20 column on Reese evening the Finals, and follow the WNBA Playoffs page.

Radio question: who wins the third quarter tonight — and does that team win Game 3?

Sources: WNBA.com — 2026 WNBA Finals preview and series schedule; Full Court Buckets — Finals Game 3 preview: Atlanta has won the third quarters 38-18; WNBA.com — Game 2 recap: Dream vs. Valkyries; AP News — Atlanta, Golden State face off with series tied 1-1.