Game 7. The best two words in sports.

With their back against the wall facing elimination, the Atlanta Dream stalwarts all delivered clutch performances to force Game 7 of the WNBA Finals, defeating the Golden State Valkyries 80-69.

A dominant first quarter provided a cushion to stave off Golden State’s late efforts at a dramatic comeback.

Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard dropped 23 and 21 respectively while Angel Reese added 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

Reese did shoot particularly well but hit two three pointers, a moniker for Dream success as they move to 16-0 this season when she hits at least one from three-point range.

The Valkyries fought all second half trailing by as many as 25, with Gabby Williams leading the way with 26 points. GSW chipped the deficit down to eight with just over a minute left but Gray’s fifth from behind the arc sealed the win.

Atlanta shared the ball and played with a pace that’s been bogged down throughout the series with Golden State’s ability to dictate tempo. The Dream finished with 19 assists on 27 made shots, including 13 three-pointers, the most ever by a team facing elimination in the WNBA Finals.

A raucous sell-out crowd provided a lively atmosphere despite the 12:30 p.m. ET tip at State Farm Arena.

Atlanta sprinted out to a 32-15 lead thanks to hitting six-of-eight from deep. The Dream scored the most points in a quarter by either team in the series.

Gray shot a perfect 3-3 in the first frame to spark a dominant quarter from the home team.

Golden State could not muster a run in the second quarter to close the gap, shooting 4-18 overall as Atlanta ballooned its lead to 20. The Dream kept them out of the paint and closed off driving lanes, feeding off the home energy not just on offense.

Every Dream starter scored seven or more points in the first half, playing off each other with 12 assists on 17 made field goals.

Former Dream star Tiffany Hayes was the only player to score for Golden State in the second quarter, finishing the half with 11 points.

The Valkyries did not close the gap much coming out of the half, but eight points in the final minute of the third gave them some signs of life trailing 63-47.

Golden State cut the deficit to 13 halfway through the fourth quarter, grinding away to get back in the game. That ended quickly as Gray and Reese hit back-to-back three pointers, forcing a GSW timeout and pushing the lead back to 19.

Williams kept fighting as the fourth quarter waned, scoring 10 straight Valkyrie points trying to turn the heat up on Atlanta.

Despite Atlanta not making a field goal after that Reese three for over four minutes, Golden State could not cut the lead to under 10 until Williams completed a three-point play with 1:15 left.

Gray nailed the proverbial dagger with a corner three on the next possession, her fifth of the night to secure a must-win Game 6.

The WNBA Finals’ first Game 7 heads back West at the Chase Center in San Francisco, with a scheduled tipoff at 8:00 p.m. ET on Halloween.