NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
Atlanta – The Valkyries may say the early start didn’t affect them, but their slow start says otherwise. Atlanta scored 18 of their 32 points in the first quarter from three-point range, and the Valkyries couldn’t climb out of the deficit. Golden State fell to the Dream 80-69 early Thursday morning, forcing a Game 7 in Boohalla on Halloween.
The Valkyries couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half, and their lack of scoring hurt them in the long run. They closed the first half shooting 26.5%, 9-of-35 from the field, compared to the Dreams’ 53.1%. After T-Pain’s halftime performance, Golden State looked like itself defensively and forced Atlanta into 10 turnovers, including six steals.
“They scored 32 points in the first quarter; that’s unacceptable on our end. We gotta play better defense,” Burton said postgame. “Obviously they were hitting good shots and getting good looks. But we cleaned it up in the other quarters, but can’t let that happen out the gate. There needs to be a sense of urgency – it’s the WNBA Finals.”
Golden State cut the lead to 13 in the fourth, but Allisha Gray hit her third triple of the game and pushed the lead to 71-55. Gray’s clutch shooting kept the Dream ahead; whenever the Valkyries seemed to be making a run, Gray hit an open three.
“My plan was to come out aggressive from the jump. My teammates were really on me to just play my game and have my back.”
With five minutes remaining, Gabby tried to pass to Tiffany Hayes, who collided with Burton and Gray and took a moment to get up. She was called for her fifth foul of the day and did not return after the collision. Natalie Nakase told us she was feeling okay. Until that moment, Hayes was one of the few playing with her back against the wall alongside Williams.
Williams was visibly frustrated in press conferences, saying they can’t start slow at home against a desperate team. Shefinished the night with 26 silent points, 15 in the fourth quarter. Williams’ main critique was Golden State’s lack of ball pressure to start. She remains the team’s primary scorer when they need her most. In Game 7, it’ll take more than just Williams to keep up with the Dream after they closed the night at 43% from the field and the three-point line.
The Angel Reese stat line from the arc still stands: the Dream are undefeated, 16-0, when she hits a triple, and she had two in Game 6. She found her spacing, looked up, and let it fly.
“Me and her [Allisha Gray] had a conversation on the way back from San Fran. I told her it was gonna be a mental game. Who is going to be mentally better? You can’t let anybody check you out; you know exactly who you are. I just want her to stay confident in who she is. Like you’re a superstar, act like a superstar.”
Reese also pointed out that when the Dream can punch first, they’ve found scoring success and a way to win.
It’s hard to complain about the time change when State Farm Arena was rocking again. But unfortunately, the early start negotiations shouldn’t fall on Golden State’s shoulders. The Valkyries’ ownership didn’t have to compromise, but they agreed because they knew how important fans are to a Finals performance. Is it their fault for accommodating? Possibly. Would the results be different if they kept their 8 PM ET tipoff at Gateway? Only a fortune teller would know.
Game 7 requires near-perfection from both teams; Atlanta has shown that if they start hot and force Golden State into tough shots, it’s hard for them to catch up. The same is true for the Valkyries, who had a similar performance in Games 4 and 5. Tonight, the Dream had everyone in a scoring rhythm early, but they turned the ball over more times in the second half, giving Golden State a few chances to catch up.
This Finals matchup has shown many similarities between the two teams; when their defense flows and gets stops, their offense feels confident and hits big shots. When their bigs grab rebounds and move the ball, they create open looks for someone to get hot. Both teams had their backs against the wall and answered with a victory or two.
Both Nakase and Burton said this is it, this is do-or-die. “You want to lay it all out there; that’s what the Finals is about. It’s just empty the tank mentality.”
Boohalla was waiting for a Game 7; shoot, everyone was. If you’ve followed this series closely, you’ve seen both teams fighting to lift the trophy.
The Valkyries have the league’s best home-court advantage and will look to their crowd to carry them to victory. Expect a roaring, physical matchup for 40 minutes, with a crowd dressed from head to toe in costumes and violet. What a way to close out the WNBA’s 30th season.
