Transcript: Golden State Valkyries 64, Atlanta Dream 55. Valkyries hold off Dream in close postseason battle. Rhyne Howard led everyone with 20 points.
The story
The Dream came to Golden State hungry, winning the 1st quarter 14-13 and staying within striking distance through halftime down just 3 at 25-22. Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 20 points and the game high, while Angel Reese dominated the glass with 15 rebounds. But the Valkyries tightened their grip in the second half. Golden State won the 3rd quarter 21-18, then held on in the 4th 18-15 to seal a 64-55 victory. The Valkyries trailed by as many as 1 but never let Atlanta pull ahead. Kiah Stokes anchored Golden State's defense with 3 blocks, while Veronica Burton added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Atlanta stays 1st in the East at 30-14, but Golden State moves to 32-12 in 2nd in the West.
2Howard paced the Dream with 20 points and 5 rebounds, leading a resilient Atlanta effort. She made 7 shots and added 3 free throws, but it wasn't enough to overcome Golden State's second-half surge.
The stat line
The stat line
| Golden State Valkyries | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiah Stokes | 13 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veronica Burton | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Cecilia Zandalasini | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Tiffany Hayes | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabby Williams | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayla Thornton | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaila Charles | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kaitlyn Chen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Atlanta Dream | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhyne Howard | 20 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jordin Canada | 12 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Allisha Gray | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Angel Reese | 7 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Isobel Borlase | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Naz Hillmon | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DeWanna Bonner | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Madina Okot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
