Golden State beat Atlanta 64-55 on Monday at Chase Center to win the WNBA Finals 4-1. Veronica Burton led Golden State with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Kiah Stokes added 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks off a Valkyries defense that held Atlanta to 29% shooting for the game.
Golden State broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta 21-18 to turn a tie into a lasting cushion. The Valkyries built their largest lead of the night at 16 points, while the Dream never led by more than one. Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 20 points for Atlanta on 7-of-15 shooting, and Angel Reese finished with 7 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, but the Dream shot just 19 of 65 from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
Key Moments And How Golden State Won It
Atlanta grabbed its only lead of consequence late in the first quarter when Howard hit a 26-foot three at the buzzer to make it 14-13. Golden State answered in the second quarter behind Burton, who scored on a turnaround jumper and a three-pointer in a 20-second span to push the lead back to 18-14, part of a run that put the Valkyries ahead 25-22 at halftime.
The decisive stretch came in the third quarter. Kiah Stokes hit a three-pointer, Tiffany Hayes scored on back-to-back possessions and Cecilia Zandalasini added a pullup jumper and a late free throw as Golden State extended its lead to 44-38 before Atlanta cut it to four entering the fourth. The Valkyries then outscored the Dream 18-15 in the final period to close out the series clinching win.
Top Performers
Burton’s all-around line of 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists paced Golden State, and Stokes matched her with 13 points to go with eight boards and three blocks on 5-of-6 shooting. Hayes scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting with four steals, and Zandalasini chipped in off the bench.
For Atlanta, Howard’s 20 points led all scorers, and Reese’s 15 rebounds extended her run of strong Finals performances, a streak detailed in Angel Reese’s three straight double-doubles. Jordin Canada added 12 points and a team-high five assists, while Allisha Gray scored 10 points but shot 4 of 12 from the field.
What It Means
The Valkyries finish 32-12, second in the Western Conference. Atlanta ends 30-14.
Golden State’s defense was the difference across the series finale. The Valkyries forced 17 Atlanta turnovers that led to 21 points, while committing just seven turnovers themselves that Atlanta converted into only six points. Golden State also out-rebounded Atlanta’s offensive glass advantage with better defensive rebounding, limiting the Dream to 44 total rebounds against Golden State’s 33, with Atlanta grabbing 12 offensive boards to Golden State’s five.
What’s Next
The Valkyries’ win closes out the 2025-26 WNBA season with Golden State as champion. Atlanta finishes its playoff run having reached the Finals, with its season officially over after the Game 5 loss.
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