The Golden State Valkyries started the WNBA Finals by hosting the Atlanta Dream on Saturday. The visitors had the stronger start and had leads throughout the first half, but the Valkyries rallied and had the edge at halftime. Both teams have been known for their defense this season and that was more evident in the second half. The Dream got the lead back, but Golden State clamped down late and scored just often enough to take the lead and hold on for a 68-64 win. They get ready to host the next game as well on Monday, looking to double that series advantage.
The Lineup
Allisha Gray was available for Atlanta so there was no surprise player news for this game and the Dream went with their expected seven player rotation. The Valkyries had the same starting lineup, but seemed ready to go back to the smallball lineup late in the first quarter. That did not end up working, so Laeticia Amihere became the tenth player to enter in the first half. She also played significant minutes in the second half as well with the lineup quickly being adjusted based on what was working as the rotation was shortened again.
First Quarter
Atlanta scored on the first possession of the game while the Valkyries missed their first two shots, but Cecilia Zandalasini got them on the board when she was able to back her defender down in the paint. The Dream got the first three-pointer and added another basket before Veronica Burton got fouled on a layup and added the free throw. Golden State was cold early from distance as Atlanta was finding success with more baskets in the paint as Burton’s layup was the only other Valkyries basket before the media timeout.
The first Golden State substitutions were made as Kiah Stokes scored next after slipping into the paint for a layup after being a defensive presence again early. Kaitlyn Chen tied the scored with a tough layup around her defender and then broke the team’s dry spell from beyond the arc by banking in a shot. Atlanta closed the quarter on an 11-0 run for the 22-14 lead though with a Valkyries timeout not doing anything to stop the bleeding.
Second Quarter
Gabby Williams got fouled on the first possession of the quarter and split the free throws. Atlanta’s success on offense continued with another basket before Kiah Stokes had an open path to a layup and they answered a Williams three-pointer immediately as well. A pair of free throws gave them their largest lead, but Williams went back to work and made another shot from distance before pulling up for a midrange jumper. The Dream continued to respond as the Valkyries found some rhythm, maintaining their lead. Cecilia Zandalasini made another turnaround jumper and added a three-pointer as Golden State was looking to target the defense surgically. Stokes got free again for a layup when the defense was looking to contain the driver before a relatively late timeout.
Atlanta made a pair of free throws after the stoppage, but Laeticia Amihere made an impact after entering for the first time, getting fouled and making one of the free throws, but Kaila Charles rebounded the miss and got a layup. Gabby Williams tied the score with a layup out of the other timeout and gave Golden State the lead on a transition three-pointer out of an unusual sequence with both teams trading turnovers. Her steal and layup made it a 10-0 run, but Atlanta did get two free throws to leave the Valkyries lead at 42-39. It took a little bit longer to get to halftime as the officials needed a replay review to determine how much time should be put on the clock after a jumpball call in the final second.
Third Quarter
Atlanta tied the score with a three-pointer and took the lead back with free throws. Gabby Williams tied it back briefly with a long two-pointer, but the Dream scored the next two baskets even as both teams cranked up the defense in this quarter. They scored again after the media timeout and then the Valkyries bench, which was called upon early in the quarter, had a good run. Laeticia Amihere tipped in a missed shot, Kaila Charles got the bounce on a three-pointer, and Amihere ran the floor well to get left open for the layup and one-point lead. Atlanta made it 56-51 in their favor though with the last six points of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Neither team had success early as the Dream eventually continued their run with two more free throws. There was a stoppage early after Cecilia Zandalasini was fouled beyond the arc as the replay review ruled that it was a flagrant foul. She only made one of the free throws, but Tiffany Hayes made her only basket of the game after an uncharacteristically rough shooting night to make it a one-possession game again. Atlanta scored next as defense continued to be the story when Kaila Charles got a steal and layup and blocked the next Dream shot for good measure. Scoring continued to be a struggle as Kiah Stokes was able to get a basket by tipping in a miss. Atlanta answered immediately and then Gabby Williams drove in for a layup before another stoppage.
The officials headed back to replay review when a foul was called on Veronica Burton as they wanted to judge contact after the whistle. Nothing was changed and the Dream made the two free throws. Williams took the initiative for Golden State again, getting fouled twice and sinking all four free throws to give the team the lead again. Atlanta took a timeout and missed the shot when action resumed. The Valkyries could not extend their advantage, but the Dream missed another shot to take the lead and had to start fouling to extend the game. Stokes only made one of her free throws to open the door for Atlanta again only for them to miss another go-ahead shot. Williams got the ball back and made the last two free throws for the final 68-64 margin.
Player of the Game
The award goes to Gabby Williams for this game after her big scoring contributions during two stretches of the game. She had sixteen points in the second quarter, nearly matching the opposition herself as the Valkyries were able to take the lead after a tough first quarter. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, she took command again and found ways to score with both teams playing their toughest defense. This is a matchup with big defensive responsibilities for her so that will also be a key part of the series.
The Verdict
Golden State found a way to get a win in a close playoff game again in a matchup of teams with strong defenses. As has been the case in the first two series, the Valkyries quickly assessed what was and was not working early in the game and made some adjustments to get the matchups that they wanted and the victory. With some of that data ready to go ahead of the next game, they will be looking to have a stronger start as they look for another home win to build their advantage in the series.
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