Allisha Gray Hits 5 Threes, Dream Force WNBA Finals Game 7

Allisha Gray caught it in the far-right corner with just under a minute left, let it fly over a closing defender, and turned to the State Farm Arena crowd with a roar before the ball even finished swishing. That three sealed the Atlanta Dream's 80-69 win over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 6 on Thursday and forced the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, as ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported.

The series is now tied 3-3, and everything comes down to Saturday in San Francisco. For a Dream team that was one loss from going home, this was about as loud an answer as you can give.

Gray Finally Got Her Shooting Night

Gray has been playing hurt. She injured a few fingers on her left hand in Game 1 of the semifinals and needed what she called a "minor procedure," and it has messed with her shot all series. Thursday, it all came back.

The numbers that matter: 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 5-of-7 from deep. She also held the Valkyries to 2-of-17 shooting as the primary defender, with two steals and three blocks on top of that. That is a full two-way takeover from a player sitting next to an ice bag after the game.

"I am just locked in. It's Game 6, win or go home," Gray told ESPN. "I didn't want to go home. We have a championship to win."

Atlanta Punched First and Never Let Up

The game was basically decided early. Atlanta outscored Golden State 32-15 in the first quarter, hitting six threes in the period, and it was the first time the Valkyries had ever allowed a 30-point first quarter. By halftime the Dream were up 25, the biggest lead ever for a team facing elimination in the Finals.

The swagger was back too. The Dream held a players-only meeting before this one to get back to the trash-talking identity that won them their other two games in this series. Angel Reese turned to the Valkyries bench after hitting her first three. Rhyne Howard flexed after nearly every make on her way to 21 points and four threes. Reese added 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

"When we punch first, we have won every single game," Reese said. "We have to make sure we continue that going forward."

Golden State never found a rhythm. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points, but the team shot 31 percent from the field and 7-of-27 from three. Veronica Burton went 2-of-13.

Game 7 at Ballhalla

Now the Dream have to do it on the road. Game 7 is Saturday at Ballhalla, the Valkyries' home in San Francisco, with tip set for 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Golden State gets the home crowd. Atlanta gets the momentum and a leading scorer who says she has another gear.

"In Game 7, I can't take my foot off the gas," Gray said. "I feel I can take it up to another level."

Reese was already looking past the celebration. "Our job is not done," she said. "We definitely could be happy about it, but we have more work to do."

Smacktok Pick Lean

We lean higher on Gray's three-point makes in Game 7. She just went 5-of-7, her coach said he challenged her to be the scorer, and Atlanta has won every game this series in which it punched first from deep. The hand is the risk, but she looked fully back on Thursday. One game for a title, and the Dream finally look like themselves again.