Valkyries Win Game 5 by 9, Need One More to Claim WNBA Title

Hennepin County residents following the WNBA Finals will see the Golden State Valkyries play one more game for the championship. The Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 64-55 on Monday night in Game 5. This win puts the team one victory away from winning the title in their second season.

Kiah Stokes led the team with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Her performance included two key three-pointers that changed the momentum of the game. The first came with 2:46 left in the third quarter. The second came with 7:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. These shots triggered loud cheers from the home crowd at Chase Center.

Veronica Burton also contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. The team relied on multiple players to score rather than depending on a single star. This approach aligns with the strategy of coach Natalie Nakase, who has emphasized depth throughout the season. The Valkyries had a 25-22 lead at halftime. They extended that lead in the second half to secure the victory.

Gabby Williams, the team's leading scorer, struggled with her shooting. She made three of her 14 shots from the field. She missed all four of her three-point attempts. However, she scored a three-point play with 9:08 remaining in the game. That play put the Valkyries ahead 49-42. She finished with nine points and six rebounds.

Angel Reese had a quieter game compared to her earlier performances in the series. She recorded seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists. She was whistled for three offensive fouls. She reacted to her second foul by shaking her head with 7:43 left in the game. The Dream committed 17 turnovers. These mistakes led to 21 points for Golden State.

Stokes has blocked at least three shots in six consecutive games. This streak ties a record set by Lisa Leslie in 2003. Leslie holds the record for the longest such streak in a single WNBA postseason. The Valkyries will play in Game 6 on Thursday. The game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EDT. It will be held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, which has a capacity of 17,000.

If the Dream win Game 6, the series will go to a decisive Game 7. That game is scheduled for Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco. Atlanta coach Karl Smesko commented on the early start time for Game 6. He noted that many fans have jobs during that time slot.

“I’d like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do,” Smesko said. “I hope everybody gets to see it somehow and I know that for some people it’s not realistic, they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. So I’m disappointed for that but I’m really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible.”

The first half of Game 5 featured the lowest combined scoring in WNBA Finals history. Neither team found rhythm from long range. Golden State shot 3 for 16 from beyond the arc. Atlanta shot 2 for 13. The combined total was 5 for 29. The Valkyries owner, Joe Lacob, had promised a championship within five years of the franchise's expansion to the Bay Area. This season has moved quickly toward that goal.