The Atlanta Dream have a chance to put the Golden State Valkyries in a hole they can’t climb out of. With a 2-1 series lead and a sold-out State Farm Arena behind them, the Dream can take a 3-1 lead in Game 4 on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and move one win from the first championship in franchise history.
The Valkyries have been here before. They are the only team that has beaten Atlanta in this series, and they did it in San Francisco in Game 1. But Game 3 got away from them. The Dream won 97-71, shot 49.3 percent, and outscored Golden State 44-20 in the paint. Golden State shot 34.8 percent and turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 22 Dream points.
The third quarter has been the story. Atlanta has outscored Golden State 63-35 in that quarter across three games, and the Valkyries know it. Kiah Stokes, who has 23 blocks this postseason, said the answer is simple. “We just gotta lock into our schemes a little bit better,” she said. “A lot of their points are getting transition, two-on-ones, one-on-zero, just more easy looks. If we can take away those easy looks, I think that’ll help us.”
Veronica Burton agreed that transition defense is where it starts. “Atlanta is a team that loves to get out in transition,” she said. “That’s where they thrive.” Fouling is the other fix. Golden State’s defense, which allowed a league-low 75.1 points per game this season, has to look like itself again, and Burton, an All-Defensive Second Team selection, is not rattled. “It would be silly, foolish to lose confidence,” she said. “This is a series for a reason, and it’s not a best-of-three. It’s best-of-seven.”
Kaila Charles said the Valkyries have to expect Atlanta’s runs and answer them. “They punch back, and we should expect that,” she said. “So we need to punch back again. You can’t lay down.” Charles, who grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 1, called herself one of the team’s motors off the bench.
Golden State’s bench is a weapon, led by Janelle Salaün, the unanimous Sixth Player of the Year, and the Valkyries need Gabby Williams to be Gabby Williams. She is averaging 21.2 points this postseason and has scored 26, 14 and 15 in this series. Coach Natalie Nakase will lean on the trust she has built with her group. Stokes, who played for Nakase in Las Vegas, said the coach asks players after every game what she could have done better. “She really cares and values our opinion,” Stokes said.
On the other side, the Dream are riding Angel Reese, who has a double-double in all three Finals games and says none of this came overnight. “These are things that I’ve done in the offseason,” Reese said. She credits head coach Karl Smesko, who she says shows up for her warmups and shoots with her every day after practice. “Shooting 75% from three in the Finals is something I never expected ever, but we’re here.”
Atlanta’s depth has shown up too. Naz Hillmon, who put up 15 points in Game 3, said she takes pride in the little things. “Somebody’s got to do the little things,” she said. “I have to fill in the gaps.” Rookie Izzy Borlase, who scored 12 off the bench, has won titles in Australia and calls this run “next level.” Rhyne Howard says the film room is a big reason the Dream keep improving. “When we see him being so serious, then we know it’s time to lock in,” she said of Smesko.
The Dream won’t talk about a title yet. Hillmon wouldn’t go there. “You have to ask me again once we’ve done it,” she said. Te-Hina Paopao said the team is only looking at Saturday. “We’re looking at Game 4 tomorrow,” she said. “We’re just going to come and do our job, keep it consistent.”
Atlanta will also have the building. The league moved Games 3 and 4 from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena, which seats more than 17,000, and Game 3 drew a sellout crowd of 17,099. Brionna Jones remains out for the Dream with a left leg injury.
If the Valkyries win, the series is tied 2-2 and heads back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday. If Atlanta wins, the Dream will be one game from history.
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