Valkyries Rally Late to Edge Dream in WNBA Finals Game One

Clear Facts

• The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center on Saturday.
• Gabby Williams scored 26 points and made six free throws in the final 2:15 to secure the victory.
• Atlanta led by three with three minutes remaining but was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

The Golden State Valkyries overcame a late deficit to defeat the Atlanta Dream in the opening game of the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries trailed by three points with just over three minutes left but closed the game on a 7-0 run.

Gabby Williams delivered the decisive scoring, finishing with 26 points and converting six consecutive free throws in the final 2:15. Her clutch performance helped Golden State secure a 68-64 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

“We were sleeping the whole first quarter,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said at halftime. She added: “Our defense is terrible right now!”

The Dream’s offense collapsed in the final minutes. Atlanta scored just eight points in the fourth quarter and failed to make a field goal after Jordin Canada’s jumper with 4:23 remaining.

Golden State’s defense made the key stops when it mattered most. Veronica Burton blocked a layup attempt by Canada, and Kiah Stokes rejected Angel Reese on the same possession with the Valkyries trailing 62-59.

“Our defense is terrible right now!”

Stokes finished with five blocks in the contest. Her defensive efforts helped turn a potential five-point deficit into a one-point game in the closing minutes.

Rhyne Howard extended Atlanta’s lead to three points with two free throws, but Williams answered with four straight free throws. Her second pair of makes gave Golden State a 65-64 lead with 1:18 remaining.

Angel Reese scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds but could not find the basket in the second half. She made all of her remaining points on free throws after scoring 11 points in the first quarter.

“We were sleeping the whole first quarter,”

The Chase Center crowd voiced its displeasure with the officiating throughout the game. Repeated chants of “Refs you suck” rang out as the Dream attempted 17 free throws through three quarters compared to Golden State’s five.

Williams scored all 16 of her first-half points in the second quarter, shooting 6-for-9 with three three-pointers. Her scoring outburst helped the Valkyries outscore Atlanta 28-17 in that period to take a 42-39 halftime lead.

“Our defense is terrible right now!”

The teams combined for just 51 points in the second half as both defenses tightened their grip on the game. Golden State got enough offense from Williams to survive the defensive battle.

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