The Golden State Valkyries opened the WNBA Finals with a 68-64 home win over the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday. Golden State erased a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit and finished the game on a 7-0 run to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points. Six came at the free-throw line during the final 2:15, as Golden State turned a 62-59 deficit into a late lead and held on. Atlanta had been ahead by three with just over three minutes remaining, but did not score again after Rhyne Howard made two free throws to put the Dream up 64-61.
A key defensive stretch began with the Valkyries trailing 62-59. Veronica Burton blocked Jordin Canada’s attempt at the basket, then Kiah Stokes blocked Angel Reese on the same possession. Tiffany Hayes collected the rebound and passed to Williams, who scored on a running layup to cut Atlanta’s lead to one with 3:22 left. Stokes finished with five blocks.
Howard restored a three-point Dream lead at the line. Williams then made four consecutive free throws, with the second pair putting Golden State ahead 65-64 with 1:18 to play. Reese stole the ball from Williams twice in the final 1:41, but Atlanta came away empty on both possessions. Allisha Gray missed a layup after the first steal, and Naz Hillmon missed a three-pointer after the second.
Stokes made one of two free throws with 23.8 seconds remaining, bringing the score to 66-64. Gray missed a three-point attempt that could have put Atlanta in front, and Williams made two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to secure the result.
Atlanta’s late scoring drought included a stretch without a made field goal after Canada’s jumper with 4:23 remaining. The Dream scored eight points in the fourth quarter. Gray led Atlanta with 19 points, while Reese ended with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Reese scored 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the first quarter, including nine during an 11-0 Atlanta run that turned an early 14-11 deficit into a 22-14 lead. She did not make another field goal, scoring her remaining points at the line in the second quarter.
Williams had 16 points in the second quarter alone, making six of nine shots and three three-pointers. Golden State outscored Atlanta 28-17 in the period and led 42-39 at halftime. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase criticized her team’s first-quarter defense during the break, saying, “We were sleeping the whole first quarter,” and, “Our defense is terrible right now!”
The Dream regained the advantage in the third quarter, when Golden State scored just nine points. Two late jumpers by Gray helped Atlanta take a 56-51 lead into the final period. The teams combined for 51 points after halftime.
The game also featured contentious moments around officiating. With 3:12 left, Howard drove toward the basket and Burton was called for a foul. Burton went down holding her face, and officials reviewed the play for a possible hostile act by Howard. They assessed no foul on Howard; she made both free throws, which proved to be Atlanta’s final points. Less than a minute later, Hayes fell while attempting a steal, but officials did not call a foul or review that sequence. The crowd repeatedly chanted its displeasure with the officiating.
Atlanta attempted 17 free throws through three quarters, compared with five for Golden State. The Dream finished 18-for-21 at the line, while the Valkyries went 11-for-16. The teams feature six players named to the WNBA’s All-Defensive teams, according to the source report. Game 1’s outcome gives Golden State the early series advantage; the supplied material does not provide details about the next game.
