Collage featuring BASKETBALL-NBA-ATL-BKN/ and BASKETBALL-WNBA-GSV-ATL/. USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Aliasgar Ayaz Sat, October 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Atlanta Dream have given their city plenty to cheer about during their WNBA Finals run, and the fans have answered in a big way.
Former Atlanta Hawks star Joe Johnson was amazed by the support inside State Farm Arena as Angel Reese and the Dream gained the upper hand in the series against the Golden State Valkyries.
Speaking on the Nightcap podcast, Johnson reflected on the atmosphere at State Farm Arena. The seven-time NBA All-Star spent seven seasons with the Hawks from 2005 to 2012, and knows what it feels like to play in front of Atlanta faithful, which made his reaction to the Dream's support particularly notable.
"Unc, I played in this arena," Johnson said, explaining that he "probably hadn't seen it like this since we played Boston."
The former Hawks star was struck by the turnout, adding that "the whole city came out to support the Dream."
After more than 17,000 people packed the arena for Game 3, the crowd also gave him a reason to make a bold comparison between Atlanta's basketball teams.
"They sold out the Arena, 17,000, man. They probably be outdoing the damn Hawks now," he added.
That support came during a crucial moment in the series. After losing Game 1 by four points, Atlanta responded with a 79-65 victory in Game 2 before returning home and winning Game 3 by a commanding 97-71 margin.
The Dream now lead the best-of-seven Finals 2-1. Johnson also praised Reese, highlighting her ability to control games and the work she has put into her 3-point shot.
"Angel, she's just so special. … The way she controls the game, the way she has worked on her 3-point shot, and the way she was knocking them down yesterday, they look hard to beat," he said .
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Reese has backed up that praise with outstanding numbers. She recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, erupted for 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2, then added 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3.
She has now recorded a double-double in all three Finals games and is 3-for-4 (75%) from 3 in the series. Across the entire postseason, she is 8-for-17 (47.1%) from deep, notable progress for a player who shot 19.3% from 3 and 45.1% from the floor during the regular season.
Atlanta will need the three-time All-Star to keep producing as the franchise tries to move within one win of its first WNBA championship. The Dream will have the crowd behind them again for Saturday's Game 4 at State Farm Arena, which has already sold out.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
Source: Sports
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