The Golden State Valkyries faced the Atlanta Dream in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday, looking to tie the series before returning home for the next game. The team made a big lineup change to try to change the early momentum and it worked as they were able to play the game more in their style and get the first half lead. It was a big opportunity for Atlanta as well and they fought back in the second half, but the Valkyries kept their advantage and got the 67-62 win.
The Lineup
The Valkyries made a big change in the starting lineup for this game, bringing in Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles alongside Veronica Burton, Gabby Williams, and Kiah Stokes. They tightened their rotation to eight players with Cecilia Zandalasini, Janelle Salaun, and Kayla Thornton playing in the first half. It was the same story in the second half with Kaitlyn Chen playing instead of Salaun. Atlanta stuck with the same seven players that have been in the rotation for the whole series until they brought Shatori Walker-Kimbrough into the game late to commit a foul.
First Quarter
Atlanta got the first two points at the free throw line as the Valkyries continued their early offensive struggles. Defense finally helped them even with a blocked fastbreak layup as Kaila Charles grabbed the offensive rebound and made the layup. The Dream responded with the first three-pointer and added the next basket as they turned to their bench first. Kiah Stokes was left open in the paint and made her first basket and then her defense allowed Kaila Charles to race ahead and earn a pair of free throws before the media timeout, splitting them.
Cecilia Zandalasini got a steal when action resumed and made the layup as Stokes gave Golden State the lead after finding space in the paint again. Gabby Williams made her first basket after being able to back down her defender. She got stopped a couple of times on the next possession, but she found Zandalasini open in the corner for a three-pointer. Atlanta stopped the run as Natalie Nakase challenged a foul call on Zandalasini unsuccessfully. The Dream scored once play resumed, but Charles responded to make it a 16-11 lead.
Second Quarter
Atlanta scored on the first possession of the quarter and then got the kind of basket that they had in the last two games. Janelle Salaun called for the ball in the mid-post and made her first shot. The Dream split a pair of free throws as Gabby Williams made a foul-line jumper next and added a free throw when Atlanta picked up a technical foul, but they went right back to that matchup and scored when play resumed. Veronica Burton measured out a long three-pointer with the shot clock winding down as the Dream scored again in the post before the media timeout.
After both teams missed shots, Gabby Williams pulled up off the dribble again to get to one of her favorite shots. Cecilia Zandalasini scored on a tough drive and added the free throw after getting fouled in the process. Williams made it a double-digit lead and Veronica Burton banked it in after getting deep in the paint to force an Atlanta timeout. The Dream ended their drought with two free throws, but Zanadalasini answered by cutting into the paint for a quick mid-range jumper. Kayla Thornton made her first shot as she was left open beyond the arc with Atlanta getting back to the free throw line twice. Burton got fouled on a drive and made both free throws as the Dream split a pair next. Williams got a steal and the fastbreak layup for the 42-26 lead at the break.
Third Quarter
Atlanta ended their field goal drought on the first possession and then got a couple of trips to the free throw as the Valkyries had some early misses and quickly called a timeout. Gabby Williams got Golden State on the board with a layup, but the Dream continued to drive themselves and get more free throws. They got three points next with the help of a technical foul on Natalie Nakase as Williams responded after getting another favorable defensive matchup with a pair of free throws. Atlanta’s free throws and three-pointer led to a Golden State timeout.
Tiffany Hayes scored for the first time after getting the start, calling for the ball deep in the paint to get in position for a layup and then Williams made a jumper to push the lead back to double-digits. Atlanta successfully challenged a foul that Veronica Burton had drawn and banked in a three-pointer after winning the jumpball. Hayes took her mismatch off of the dribble this time for a layup and then got a pair of free throws late in the quarter. The Dream got fouled on the last possession of the frame to trail 54-45 heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
Both teams had some early misses as Atlanta got the first point at the free throw line. Tiffany Hayes responded by getting fouled making a layup and added the free throw. The Dream got a three-pointer and got closer with a layup, challenging an out-of-bounds call successfully too to get the ball back. Hayes had another tough finish on a layup and then converted again in the paint, but Atlanta did respond with a pair of baskets. Veronica Burton made a three-pointer next as the Dream did get to the free throw line ahead of the media stoppage.
Atlanta cut the deficit further and got another stop as the Valkyries were running the clock out but not scoring. Burton got the ball in the final minute and pushed her way into the paint, scoring to make it a three-possession game again. The Dream got a three-point play after utilizing their reset timeout. They had to foul to extend the game, sending Burton to the free throw line eventually as she split the pair. Golden State got the stop and dribbled it out for a 67-62 win.
Player of the Game
This was a game where different players had to step up at different times to make sure that the Valkyries could get the win with the nod going to Veronica Burton for this award. She has not had the biggest scoring games late in the playoffs and has not played the heaviest minutes either. With so much on the line in this game, the team asked her to play as many minutes as possible, only resting for a couple of minutes in the second half. While she did not have a great shooting day, she never stopped hunting for her shot in the flow of the offense, allowing her to consistently dictate the tempo, including late in the game. With the team struggling with turnovers, she had none in this game as part of a great effort by the whole squad and had the game high in assists as well. She also made some big plays on defense and will need to continue being on the court for long stretches in upcoming games.
The Verdict
The Valkyries knew that losing this game would make the series deficit nearly insurmountable, so they made major lineup shifts to change the energy of this game. The changes worked early and Golden State was able to play their style for most of the game and get the win. The teams have to travel back across the country for Monday’s game now with the series tied and homecourt advantage shifting back to the Valkyries. Some of the moves worked better than others so the Valkyries will have big decision to make on what to carry over from this game.
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