Transcript: Golden State Valkyries 67, Atlanta Dream 62. Valkyries hold off Dream's fourth-quarter push to win by 5. Rhyne Howard led everyone with 19 points.
The story
Golden State built a fortress early. The Valkyries opened with a 12-0 run in the 1st quarter and never looked back, leading 42-26 at halftime after another 9-0 run in the 2nd. Atlanta fought back hard in the second half, winning the 3rd quarter 19-12 and the 4th 17-13, but the deficit was too steep. The Dream trailed by as many as 5 and still couldn't complete the comeback. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 17 points, while Kiah Stokes dominated the glass with 16 rebounds. Rhyne Howard paced Atlanta with 19 points, but it wasn't enough. Golden State's early control held up: 67-62.
2Stokes was everywhere on the boards for Golden State, pulling down 16 rebounds while also swatting 3 shots. Her work on the glass was critical to controlling the paint and limiting second chances for Atlanta.
The stat line
The stat line
| Atlanta Dream | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhyne Howard | 19 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Isobel Borlase | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Jordin Canada | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Angel Reese | 8 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Naz Hillmon | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Allisha Gray | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| DeWanna Bonner | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Golden State Valkyries | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabby Williams | 17 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Tiffany Hayes | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Veronica Burton | 13 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Cecilia Zandalasini | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaila Charles | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kiah Stokes | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Kayla Thornton | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Janelle Salaun | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
