Williams' 26, late free throws lift Valkyries past Dream — SkimNews
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- Gabby Williams scored 26 points and hit four clutch free throws in the final 1:18 — two with 1:18 left and two more with 4.1 seconds remaining — to seal the Golden State Valkyries' 68-64 win over Atlanta in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
- Williams scored 16 of her 26 points in the second quarter, but no other Valkyries player reached double figures as the team shot 32.1% from the field and went 7-of-33 from three-point range.
- The Dream came up empty on four consecutive clutch attempts down the stretch: Rhyne Howard missed a 3 with 1:09 left, Naz Hillmon missed from deep, Kiah Stokes missed the front end of a one-and-one with 23.8 seconds left, and Allisha Gray missed a 3 with nine seconds remaining.
- Angel Reese recorded a steal in the final minute of the loss for Atlanta, which had chances to tie or take the lead but never did.
- Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night at Chase Center, where the 'Ballhalla' home crowd produced the ear-piercing, hostile environment coach Natalie Nakace had specifically requested from fans.
Why it matters: Golden State won a Finals game while shooting just 32.1% and going 7-of-33 from three — proof of how heavily Williams carried the offense. Atlanta now has roughly 48 hours to regroup before Game 2 Monday at Chase Center, where the crowd noise that Nakace cultivated has become a tangible home-court edge Atlanta must solve to avoid an 0-2 hole.
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