The Golden State Valkyries edged the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, with Gabby Williams leading all scorers with 26 points. Four of her free throws in the final 78 seconds helped the hosts hold off Atlanta.
Williams finished as runner-up to Atlanta’s Angel Reese in Defensive Player of the Year voting and has become a major scoring force for Golden State during the playoffs. On Saturday she carried much of the offensive load on a difficult shooting night, as no other Valkyries player reached double figures.
Williams finds her rhythm after a quiet start
The French star scored nothing in the first quarter, when Golden State started tentatively in front of a loud crowd at Chase Center. She then exploded for 16 points in the second quarter.
In an on-court interview, Williams said the team began to find its footing once the players relaxed and the energy in the building picked up. Later she acknowledged that the basket had felt tight, saying, “There was a lid on that basket tonight,” but added that the team leans on its defence when shots are not falling.
Free throws decide a tight finish
Golden State trailed by one with 1 minute 18 seconds remaining when Williams grabbed a rebound off a miss by Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and was fouled by Reese. She made both free throws to give the Valkyries a 65-64 lead, then added another pair to seal the win with 4.1 seconds left.
Williams credited the team’s defence for the result. She noted that the Valkyries have allowed 335 fewer points than any other WNBA team this season, and said the group has built habits on that end that it constantly reinforces.
Dream fade in the fourth quarter
Gray, Atlanta’s leading scorer, returned from a hand injury that had sidelined her for two games and finished with 19 points. She was scoreless in the fourth quarter, when the Dream made only two of their 19 field-goal attempts. The quarter produced just eight points in total.
Rhyne Howard added 12 points for Atlanta, while Reese finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, all of her scoring coming before halftime. Reese said, “I don’t think they really did anything,” and admitted she had not been aggressive enough in getting the ball and finding her spots. She promised to play better in the next game.
The Valkyries will host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Monday. Both teams are chasing their first WNBA championship. The Dream have come up short in three previous Finals appearances, most recently in 2013. The Valkyries, who last year became the first WNBA expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season, are now going for the title in their second season.
