Valkyries contain Reese, beat Dream 67–62 to tie WNBA Finals

ATLANTA — Golden State restored balance to the WNBA Finals by making Atlanta work for nearly every point Saturday. The Valkyries won Game 4, 67–62, at State Farm Arena, tying the best-of-seven championship series at two games apiece.

Gabby Williams scored 17 points, Veronica Burton and Tiffany Hayes added 13 each, and Kiah Stokes collected 16 rebounds. Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 19, but the Dream could not overcome a 16-point halftime deficit or a difficult shooting afternoon from Angel Reese.

Reese finished with eight points and nine rebounds, shooting 2-for-12. Her production had helped Atlanta win the previous two games. In Game 4, Golden State reduced both her efficiency and the margin for error available to the Dream’s other scorers.

The teams return to Chase Center in San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday, October 26. Golden State lists the tipoff at 5 p.m. Pacific, which is 7 p.m. in Chicago, with USA and Peacock carrying the game. Saturday’s result also assures a sixth game; Atlanta’s official report lists that return to Georgia for Thursday.

Golden State builds the cushion early

The Valkyries finished the first quarter ahead 16–11 and won the second 26–15. The resulting 42–26 halftime lead gave them enough room to withstand a much less productive offensive second half.

Coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting group, inserting Hayes and Kaila Charles for Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini. Zandalasini still contributed 10 points in her reserve role. The adjustment distributed responsibilities differently without requiring every useful offensive possession to come from the starters.

Atlanta also had an early rotation problem. Allisha Gray accumulated three fouls before four minutes had elapsed, according to the Dream’s official report. Gray ultimately finished with five points. The team’s ball security and shotmaking compounded that difficulty: Atlanta made just 18 of 54 field-goal attempts for the game.

Golden State’s halftime advantage did not come from exceptional outside shooting. The Valkyries finished 4-for-25 from three. Their ability to protect possessions and recover misses mattered more than a high conversion rate from distance. Stokes grabbed eight offensive rebounds, half of her individual total, repeatedly extending the opportunity to score after an initial miss.

A different test after halftime

Atlanta won the third quarter 19–12, narrowing the deficit to 54–45. That was a meaningful recovery, but it left the Dream needing another substantial swing against a defense that had already held them to 26 points in the first half.

Hayes supplied a necessary counterweight. All 13 of her points came after halftime, including seven in the fourth quarter, according to Atlanta’s report. Golden State could not reproduce its 26-point second period, but Hayes’ scoring helped it keep answering while the lead contracted.

Burton also made a critical three after Atlanta had moved within 61–55. That basket pushed the margin back to nine. The Dream continued to close, with Howard completing a three-point play to make it 66–62 with 28.7 seconds remaining. Burton then made one of two free throws, leaving Atlanta five points behind with 27.3 seconds left.

Atlanta missed its last two three-point attempts. The fourth quarter ended 17–13 in the Dream’s favor, another period won without completing the comeback. Across the second half, Atlanta recovered 11 of the 16 points it had trailed by at intermission.

Possessions mattered more than percentages

Neither team shot well enough to make this a comfortable offensive game. Golden State finished 26-for-72 overall, or 36.1%, and Atlanta shot 33.3%. Both made four threes. The difference was that the Valkyries attempted 18 more field goals while keeping their own turnover total to nine.

The final league box score credits Atlanta with 17 turnovers, a figure also used in the Dream’s report. That eight-turnover gap helped Golden State survive its own missed shots. It also limited how often Atlanta could turn its second-half defensive improvement into a full comeback.

The foul line offered Atlanta another route. The Dream attempted 31 free throws but made 22, leaving nine points unconverted. Golden State was 11-for-13. Free throws do not explain the entire result, but Atlanta’s missed opportunities there were significant in a five-point game.

Burton’s 13 points came with five assists, three steals and no turnovers. Williams added five rebounds and three assists. Stokes’ 16 rebounds and three blocks gave the Valkyries a defensive and possession contribution that far exceeded her four points. Those roles were especially valuable when scoring became difficult after the break.

Atlanta received 10 points apiece from Jordin Canada and Izzy Borlase, alongside Howard’s 19. Reese added three assists and three blocks despite her shooting struggles. The Dream had contributions across the lineup; they needed more efficient possessions to make them sufficient.

At 2–2, the series returns west with each team having demonstrated a way to control a game. Golden State’s task is to carry Saturday’s possession discipline into Game 5. Atlanta’s is to avoid another first-half deficit that forces its best stretch of basketball to be spent catching up.