The Golden State Valkyries head into Game 4 of the WNBA Finals Saturday in Atlanta, chasing their first championship and aiming to even the best-of-seven series after a 97-71 loss in Game 3. Atlanta Dream leads 2-1.
Both franchises are competing for their first WNBA title. The Valkyries joined the league as an expansion team in 2025 and finished the regular season 32-12. A championship would raise their national profile after only two seasons.
The Dream reach the Finals for the first time since 2013, as they chase their first championship in their fourth appearance.
A Game 4 win ties the series and sends it back to the Chase Center, known as Ballhalla, for Game 5. The Valkyries won Game 1 and swept the Dream in the regular season. They must tighten things up defensively and find a rhythm offensively, if they hope to even the series.
Guard Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 15 points, a postseason career-high eight assists and three steals. Center Kiah Stokes grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots, bringing her postseason block total to 23, which ties for the seventh most in a single WNBA postseason.
Cecilia Zandalasini and Janelle Salaün each scored 13 points.
The Valkyries bench scored 38 points, its third 35-plus outing of the postseason, led by Tiffany Hayes with 14. Golden State totaled 19 assists and 24 field goals.
The Dream outscored the Valkyries 44-20 in the paint and 13-5 on fastbreak points. Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points, followed by Rhyne Howard with 16 and Naz Hillmon with 15.
Jordin Canada, two-time WNBA Champion, scored 10 points and Allisha Gray added 8. The Dream bench totaled 27 points, with rookie guard Isobel Borlase scoring 12.
A sellout crowd of 17,099 filled State Farm Arena, the Dream’s home for the Finals and their new home for all regular-season games beginning in 2027.
Williams pointed to defense as the fix. “I think we were a bit undisciplined on defense, but we just have to go back and watch it [film], adjust, have a good day of practice, reconnect, regroup, and just get ready for Saturday,” she said.
Coach Natalie Nakase spoke to the team’s confidence. “Our fight has never not been there. I feel like this is just a long series. We’ve been down before. We’ve come back from games where we’ve been down, so now we just put it as a longer series,” she said. “So we’re resilient. We’ve done it before.”
The Valkyries meet the Dream for Game 4 Saturday, October 24, at 1 p.m. ET, at State Farm Arena. The game airs on NBC and Peacock.
