The Golden State Valkyries leveled the WNBA Finals at 2-2, defeating the Atlanta Dream 67-62 at home and erasing the memory of a 26-point blowout in Game 3, according to reports from Sky Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport. Tiffany Hayes and Rhyne Howard paced their respective sides, while Cecilia Zandalasini provided a crucial spark off the bench for Golden State with 10 points and three steals.
The series now shifts back to San Francisco for Game 5, scheduled for Monday night at 1:00 AM Italian time, with both teams two wins away from the championship. Golden State controlled the contest from the opening quarter, building a 16-point halftime lead at 42-26 before withstanding a furious second-half rally by Atlanta.
Nakase Alters Lineup to Neutralize Angel Reese
Nakase made critical adjustments to her starting lineup for Game 4, benching Zandalasini and Kayla Thornton in favor of Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles. The tactical shift paid immediate dividends as Zandalasini entered the game in the first quarter to ignite a 9-0 run, turning an early deficit into an 11-7 advantage.
Inside, Kiah Stokes neutralized Angel Reese. Stokes hauled in 16 rebounds and blocked three shots while limiting Reese to just 8 points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field. Sky Sport noted that the defensive effort effectively grounded Reese, who had recorded three double-doubles earlier.
Holding Off the Atlanta Surge in the Third Quarter
The Valkyries struggled coming out of halftime. Atlanta opened the third quarter with a 14-4 run, ratcheting up defensive pressure and slicing into Golden State’s advantage. The Valkyries managed just 25 points across the entire second half after putting up 26 in the second quarter alone.
Despite shooting just 36 percent from the field, Golden State secured 72 field goal attempts to Atlanta’s 54, capitalizing on 14 turnovers by the Dream. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 17 points, punishing Atlanta from midrange, while Hayes and Natasha Burton hit crucial shots down the stretch to hold off the late-game surge.
Series Deadlocks at 2-2 Before Game 5
For Atlanta, the loss serves as a sharp reversal after a commanding 97-61 victory in Game 3 put them up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Howard led the Dream with 19 points, and both Borlase and Canada chipped in 10 points apiece, but the team’s late desperation shots in the final minute failed to find the mark.
With the series deadlocked at 2-2, the action returns to San Francisco. Game 5 will tip off in the early hours of Tuesday at 1:00 AM Italian time, broadcast live on Sky Sport.
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