Golden State is one win away from a WNBA championship. The Valkyries pulled away from Atlanta in the second half Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the 2026 Finals, leaning on the defense that has defined the series.
Kiah Stokes recorded her sixth straight game with three or more blocks, tying Lisa Leslie (2003) for the longest streak in a single postseason in WNBA playoff history. Veronica Burton had a career playoff-high four blocks, tying Diana Taurasi (2009) for the most by a guard in a Finals game. The Valkyries now have 37 blocks this series, the most by any team in a single Finals ever. There have been seven games of three or more blocks in this series after Burton notched four and Stokes three, the most in a single series in league history.
Golden State broke the game open in the second half, using a 14-6 run to build a 52-42 lead. Stokes and Burton each scored 13. Stokes shot 5-for-6, including 3-for-4 from three, a playoff career high for threes made, and grabbed eight rebounds. She also moved to No. 16 on the WNBA all-time playoff blocks list with 52. Burton added eight rebounds, including a playoff career-high seven on the defensive glass.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase called Burton the best point guard in the league. “Hands down, I think she’s the best point guard right now in the league,” Nakase said. “It may not look fancy and pretty, but this is her way. It’s that grittiness, that leadership, that toughness. It’s diving on the floor, getting knocked down, getting back up. That’s another way you can show being the best point guard.”
Nakase was just as direct about herself. She said her all-in approach hurt her early in the series. “I gave myself an F minus in games one, two and three. My communication was poor. We were undisciplined. We didn’t recognize who we were, and that was because of me,” she said. She credited her players for the turnaround. “Listening to my players after losing two, that’s when we really learn from our losses. They wanted clarity, and I wasn’t giving that to them.”
Atlanta’s offense never found a rhythm. The Dream’s 55 points are the lowest by a Finals team since Phoenix in 2021, and their 29.2 percent shooting is the lowest by a Finals team since 2021 and the fourth-lowest ever. One game after committing 18 turnovers, Atlanta turned it over 17 times, and Golden State scored 21 points off them. The Valkyries gave up just six points on their nine turnovers.
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 20 points, including 11 in the third quarter, on 7-for-15 shooting with five rebounds. Angel Reese pulled down 15 rebounds, one short of her career playoff high, and became the second player in WNBA Finals history with 60 or more rebounds in a single series. She joins Sylvia Fowles, who had 75 in the 2017 Finals. Naz Hillmon set a playoff career high with 11 rebounds.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko said his team defended well and rebounded well but didn’t hit shots. “We just didn’t get as many good looks, especially in transition, as we’d want. And when we did work and get open shots, we shot a really poor percentage. We’ve got better shooters than that,” he said. He was also pointed about the officiating. “I do want to have Angel’s back here. The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. We should have gone to the foul line six to eight more times just on that. And to miss double dribbles and travels multiple times that always led to points, you can’t be at this level and make that many mistakes. There are things that are on us. We’re missing shots we should make. But at the same time, if you push somebody with two hands as they drive, it’s got to be a foul. And I’m kind of tired of some of the excuses that I’m hearing.”
Reese said the physicality has been building. “I’m still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality. A lot of us are getting fouled and not getting the call, or we talk to the ref after and they say, ‘Oh, we’ll get you next time.’ It is frustrating, especially in the moment. I’m kind of used to it because it’s been happening throughout the season. But for my teammates, when they’re getting slapped to the ground or having their goggles knocked off, I’m trying to keep them in it and keep them confident.” She said the shift came when the series turned. “It definitely shifted when we went up two-one, and things took a big turn.”
Reese said the Dream still believe. “Defense wins championships, so it’s about who’s going to be tougher, who’s going to get down and guard. We’ve struggled making shots, but I still believe in our team. I think it’s not going to rain too much longer for us. We’re going to hit our shots at the right time, and you want to go through hard stuff to get what you want in life.” On facing elimination, she said, “Our backs are against the wall, but we get to go home and play in front of our home crowd again, get a couple of days of rest and get back to Atlanta Dream basketball. Everybody in the locker room is dialed in to who we are.”
Smesko echoed that. “We win two games, we’re champions. That starts with the next game, and we’ll be locked in.”
Nakase said her team can’t relax. “There’s a team out there that wants it just as bad. That’s going to be a very ruthless Atlanta team that really wants it just as much. You can never count them out. They’re well coached, they’re well balanced, they have dogs. We’ve got to go in with that mindset of being mentally tough and more connected than ever.”
Game 6 tips off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 29, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Valkyries lead the series 3-2 and can clinch the 2026 WNBA championship.
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