The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on Saturday to even the WNBA Finals at two games apiece. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 17 points, and Kiah Stokes added 16 rebounds as the Valkyries overcame a second-half scoring drought at State Farm Arena.
Golden State built the win with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Atlanta 26-15 to turn a one-point game into a 42-26 halftime lead. Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 19 points for the Dream, but Atlanta could never cut the deficit below five points over the final two quarters.
Takeaways From Valkyries’ Win Over Dream
A second-quarter surge decided the game
Golden State scored 26 points in the second period on a flurry of mid-range and perimeter shots from Williams, Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini. The Valkyries led by as many as 16 points, their largest margin of the game, and never trailed after the opening minutes of the first quarter.
Golden State survived a brutal shooting night
The Valkyries shot just 36% from the field and 16% from three-point range, going 4 of 25 from deep. Golden State leaned on its defense and free-throw shooting instead, making 11 of 13 attempts from the line and forcing 17 turnovers that led to just eight points for Atlanta off those giveaways.
Atlanta’s offense stalled after a hot start
The Dream scored 19 points in the third quarter to cut into the deficit but managed only 62 total points, their lowest output in the series. Atlanta shot 33% from the field and committed 17 turnovers, well above Golden State’s nine, a gap that erased much of the benefit from the Dream’s 22-of-31 showing at the free-throw line.
Player Of The Game: Gabby Williams
Gabby Williams finished with 17 points on 7-of-21 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a plus-7 rating in 37 minutes. She scored or assisted on several of Golden State’s key second-quarter baskets, including back-to-back pullup jumpers that pushed the lead past 20 points.
Valkyries Vs. Dream By The Numbers
Golden State out-rebounded Atlanta 38-37 and won the turnover battle decisively, forcing 18 total turnovers compared to its own nine. The Valkyries scored 38 points in the paint to Atlanta’s 28 and tallied seven fast-break points to the Dream’s two. Atlanta’s 22 made free throws outpaced Golden State’s 11, but the Dream needed 31 attempts to get there. Both teams struggled from three-point range, with Golden State making 4 of 25 and Atlanta 4 of 23.
What’s Next
The series is tied 2-2. Golden State improved to 32-12 and Atlanta fell to 30-14.
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