The Golden State Valkyries are riding the wave of “Ballhalla.” In WNBA Finals Game 2 at the Chase Center, Golden State holds a 33-28 lead over the Atlanta Dream late in the second quarter as the expansion franchise looks to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Gabby Williams (Credits: ESPN)
The Valkyries took Game 1 on Saturday with a 68-64 victory — the first Finals win in franchise history — powered by Gabby Williams’ 26-point masterpiece and a decisive 7-0 run in the final 2:53. Golden State outscored Atlanta 17-8 in the fourth quarter to flip a game the Dream had controlled for stretches.
Defense Does It Again
Game 1 was a clinic in the Valkyries’ calling card: stops. Atlanta shot just 21-of-64 from the field and a frigid 16 percent from three-point range, while Golden State won the rebounding battle 41-35 behind a big night from Kaila Charles (7 points, 10 rebounds). Williams said the team had the Dream “right where we wanted them” because it knew the game would come down to stops.
For Atlanta, it is the first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013, and Allisha Gray (19 points), Angel Reese (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Rhyne Howard (12 points, 7 rebounds) will need to find another gear. Reese put it bluntly after Game 1: she wasn’t aggressive enough getting to her spots — and she plans to fix that in Game 2.
What’s at Stake
The best-of-seven series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday, October 22 and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24. If Golden State holds serve at home tonight, the Dream face a mountain: no team wants to head on the road down 0-2 in the Finals. Dream coach Karl Smesko blamed Saturday’s loss on one bad defensive stretch and a cold fourth quarter — but moral victories don’t even series. The Valkyries, in their first Finals appearance ever, are four quarters from a dream start.
Also Read: Allisha Gray Optimistic About Playing Game 1 of WNBA Finals for Dream
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.