Gabby Williams propelled the Golden State Valkyries to a 68-64 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, clinching a tight opener in the WNBA Finals. The French forward delivered a game-high 26 points, including four critical free throws in the final 78 seconds that ultimately sealed the win.
The Valkyries struggled with their shooting throughout the evening, but Williams remained a constant threat. After going scoreless in the opening quarter, she caught fire to record 16 points during the second period. Reflecting on the team’s persistence, Williams said, “Once we all started having fun and the excitement got out, we started to kind of find our way.” She added that while the basket seemed to have a “lid” on it, the team leaned on their signature defensive intensity to stay within reach.
With only 1 minute and 18 seconds remaining and Golden State trailing by one, Williams pulled down a crucial rebound after a missed shot by Allisha Gray. She was subsequently fouled by Angel Reese and converted both free throws to put the Valkyries in front 65-64. Williams later iced the game by hitting two additional free throws with 4.1 seconds left on the clock.
The Valkyries’ defensive consistency proved decisive. The team, which allowed 335 fewer points than any other franchise this season, emphasized these habits to survive the low-scoring contest. “It came down to getting stops and that’s been our bread-and-butter all year,” Williams noted. Williams, runner-up to Atlanta’s Angel Reese in Defensive Player of the Year voting, has emerged as an offensive force for the Valkyries in the playoffs and carried the scoring load on a tough shooting night for the hosts, who did not have another player score in double figures on Saturday.
Atlanta’s offense faltered down the stretch, managing only eight points in the fourth quarter. Allisha Gray, returning to the lineup after missing two games with a hand injury, finished with 19 points but went scoreless throughout the final quarter. As a team, the Dream shot just two-of-19 from the floor in the closing period. Where Gray was scoreless over the final 10 minutes and Reese scored all of her 14 points in the first half, atlanta scored just two in an overall eight-point fourth quarter.
Angel Reese recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds for the visitors, though all her scoring occurred in the first half. Rhyne Howard contributed 12 points for Atlanta. Following the loss, Reese expressed frustration with her performance, stating, “Maybe that was just on me; I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and get to my spot.”
Both franchises are currently hunting for their first-ever WNBA title. The Dream have reached the Finals three times previously, most recently in 2013, without claiming the trophy. Meanwhile, the Valkyries are appearing in the Finals during their second season after becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the postseason in their inaugural year. Most recently in 2013, the Dream have come up empty in three prior trips to the Finals.
The teams are scheduled to return to the Chase Center for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series this Monday.
