Transcript: Golden State Valkyries 64, Atlanta Dream 55. Valkyries hold off Dream in close postseason matchup. Rhyne Howard led everyone with 20 points.
The story
Golden State survived a tight contest against Atlanta, winning 64-55 behind balanced scoring and strong interior defense. The Dream won the 1st quarter 14-13, but the Valkyries responded with a 12-8 2nd quarter to take a 25-22 halftime lead. Golden State extended the advantage in the 3rd, outscoring Atlanta 21-18 to lead 46-40 heading into the final period. The Valkyries closed it out 18-15 in the 4th. Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 20 points for Atlanta, while Kiah Stokes (13 points, 8 rebounds) and Veronica Burton (13 points, 8 rebounds) anchored Golden State's effort. The Valkyries trailed by as many as 1 and still won.
2Stokes delivered 13 points and 8 rebounds while adding 3 blocks, anchoring the interior for Golden State. Her defensive presence helped contain Atlanta's attack in a low-scoring affair.
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 |
