Finals AP Recap

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kiah Stokes kept swatting shots on the interior, while Veronica Burton disrupted the Dream with her own quick hands to alter shots.
And that crazed, violet-clad “Ballhalla” home crowd roared at every chance — watching the Golden State Valkyries move one win away from a championship in their second season with a 64-55 victory against Atlanta in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night.
Stokes had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Burton contributed a nearly identical stat line with 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots as Golden State got defensive once more to shut down Angel Reese and the Dream.
The Valkyries have leaned on Stokes’ steady presence and postseason experience during this remarkable run.
“We’re not here without Kiah,” Burton said. “Every single day, every single game, from the beginning. Just her veteran experience as well. It’s more than just defense.”
<div class="FreeStar Advertisement" data-module="">
<div id="ap4vch573jk" class="fs-feed-ad" data-freestar-ad="__336x280 __336x280" data-google-query-id="CJue9sma2ZcDFSrDPwQdkC4ZJg">
Angel Reese finished with seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists — a big difference from her two standout performances in the first two games of the series at Chase Center. Reese shook her head when whistled for the second of her three offensive fouls with 7:43 to play.
“I still believe in our team, I still believe we can win this,” Reese said.
Fans screamed and clapped thunder sticks following the final buzzer as Stokes spoke from the floor to chants of “MVP!”
“We appreciate you,” a smiling Stokes said. “We got one more.”
On a night leading scorer Gabby Williams struggled to find her shooting touch, Golden State found that “strength in numbers” mantra coach Natalie Nakase has praised all season long and everybody made an impact. Veronica Burton had 13 points, eight rebounds and her postseason-best four blocks — tying Diana Taurasi in 2009 for most by a guard in a Finals game.
On Saturday, <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/natalie-nakase-wnba-finals-valkyries-28a4cab5793e6ca58061aa52ca8b5902" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Nakase</a> had changed up her lineup for a <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/dream-valkyries-score-wnba-finals-09e991874e2b0539ad0d3d1b5b61533a" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">67-62 Game 4 win</a> by inserting Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting five. She stayed with those two Monday night, and it worked again. Hayes, who played 10 seasons for Atlanta and came out of retirement two years ago, had 12 points — and Nakase has said she wants to win it all for the veteran guard.
Williams began 2 for 11 and missed all four of her three 3-point tries, but she converted a three-point play with 9:08 remaining put the Valkyries ahead 49-42 and finished with nine points on 3-for-14 shooting and six rebounds.
Atlanta will now try to stave off elimination at home Thursday in Game 6 and force a deciding Game 7 back here at Chase Center on Saturday. The Dream hurt themselves with 17 turnovers that led to 21 points for Golden State.
“Nothing’s changed, we win two games we’re champions,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said.
Stokes hit a key 3-pointer with 2:46 to go in the third quarter and another with 7:21 left in the game, which ignited chants of “Ki-ah! Ki-ah!” from the rocking, rally-towel waving sellout crowd at Chase Center.
“It feels pretty special,” she said. “I always know what I brought to a team, I always understood my value but just to hear an arena full of 18,000 fans it just really makes me feel appreciated and loved.”
Stokes has recorded three or more blocks in six straight games, tying her with Lisa Leslie in 2003 for the longest such streak in a single WNBA postseason.
The Valkyries used a dominant second half after they led 25-22 at the break, the lowest scoring first half combined score in WNBA Finals history.
Rhyne Howard’s three-point play with 4:59 left in the third pulled Atlanta within 34-31, but after that it was Stokes, Burton and the Valkyries coming up with all the crucial plays on both ends.
“That’s just been our staple all season, we really rely on our defense,” Stokes said.
<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/valkyries-second-season-wnba-finals-390ff5fc32df50a84e17607632e81892" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Golden State owner Joe Lacob promised a championship</a> within five years in a bold declaration when the expansion franchise was granted to the Bay Area three years ago, yet this season has exceeded even what he could have envisioned.
Neither team could find a flow from 3-point range in the first half as they combined to shoot 5 for 29 from deep — 3 of 16 by Golden State and 2 for 13 by Atlanta.
Earlier Monday, the league announced <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-finals-dream-valkyries-game-6-d58e650dca1237110ab98384a7790837" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Game 6</a> would be played at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday — a time when many fans on both coasts will be working.
“I’d like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do,” Smesko said. “I hope everybody gets to see it somehow and I know that for some people it’s not realistic, they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. So I’m disappointed for that but I’m really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible.”
</div>
</div>

WNBA_Finals_2026_Primary

2026-finals-valkyries-dream-game-5-recap

Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (Finals, Game 5)

ATLANTA (AP) — Gabby Williams scored 17 points and Golden State played stellar defense to beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on Saturday and even the WNBA Finals at 2-2.
The best-of-seven series moves back to California on Monday for Game 5.
The Valkyries stymied Atlanta star Angel Reese, holding her to just eight points. She had dominated the previous two games, averaging 25.5 points and 14 rebounds in the Dream victories. Reese struggled in Game 4, missing 10 of her 12 shots, including a few layups in the fourth quarter, after having double-doubles in each of the first three games.
Tiffany Hayes was moved into the starting lineup Saturday and scored all of her 13 points in the second half as the Valkyries got their first victory since Game 1.
“We just had to have more fight, more grit, and get back to us,” Hayes said in a TV interview after the game. “We still made a few mistakes but at the end of the day we played hard and we came out with the win.”
Atlanta trimmed a 16-point halftime deficit to 61-55 midway through the fourth quarter, bringing fans in the sellout crowd of over 17,000 to their feet. Golden State answered with a 3-pointer by Veronica Burton to briefly silence them.
The Dream then scored seven of the next nine points, including a three-point play by Rhyne Howard with 28 seconds left to get within 66-62.
Burton then made the first of two free throws a second later and Atlanta couldn’t convert on the other end.
Howard finished with 19 points for Atlanta, which shot just 33.3% overall and 4 for 23 from 3-point range.
Golden State players had said between the 26-point Game 3 loss and Game 4 that they were confident they could win on Saturday and just needed to be more physical and play harder. They showed that grit on both ends of the court.
Defensively, they challenged Atlanta shots led by Kiah Stokes and limited the Dream to few second-chance opportunities. Stokes finished with three blocks and now has a WNBA Finals record of 14 in the four games, surpassing the old record of 12 by Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles.
Offensively, they limited turnovers, which had led to easy points for Atlanta in its two victories. The Valkyries also crashed the offensive boards, rebounding their own misses to give themselves more chances to score. Stokes had eight offensive rebounds of her 16 total.
Coach Natalie Nakase also made a change in the starting lineup, Hayes and Kaila Charles for Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini. While the Valkyries got off to a slow start again in the early afternoon tipoff with the Atlanta Hawks playing their home opener at night, when Thornton and Zandalasini entered the game they paid immediate dividends.
The two helped a key first-quarter run that gave Golden State its first lead since the third quarter of Game 2. Atlanta got within 24-20 on Reese’s basket — her lone one of the first half — but the Valkyries responded with an 18-6 run to close the half.
The 42-26 deficit at the break was the largest that the Dream had faced all playoffs.
<div id="optimizelyHubpeekId" class="optimizelyHubpeekClass"></div>
Atlanta had dominated the third quarter in the WNBA Finals, outscoring Golden State 60-35 in the first three games. The Valkyries wouldn’t let them do that in Game 4.

2026-finals-dream-valkyries-game-4-recap

Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream (Finals, Game 4)

ATLANTA (AP) — Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night and take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.
Rhyne Howard added 16 points and Naz Hillmon had 15 for the Dream, who host Game 4 on Saturday.
It was the second straight strong game for Reese, who had 30 points and 16 rebounds in <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-finals-angel-reese-dream-valkyries-d00267d6effe8ea9b7593c95715958a8" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Game 2</a>, which the Dream also won for their first victory ever in the finals. She now has a double-double in each game of the Finals.
“It feels good when you’re in the finals. It’s a long season and you play against everybody and go through and push through, but when you can do it at the highest level, this is what you live for, this is what the offseason is for,” Reese said. “I put the work in for this moment and I’m just happy I could lead the team to a win. We’re feeling good going into Saturday.”
With the game tied at 49 in the third quarter, Atlanta scored eight straight, including four by Reese. Golden State got within 59-55 on Tiffany Hayes’ layup, but could get no closer as Atlanta closed the quarter scoring 12 of the final 14 points.
Atlanta has dominated the third quarter so far in the series, outscoring Golden State 63-35 combined in the three games.
With Atlanta up 17 in the fourth quarter, Jordin Canada overthrew Reese on the break, but she saved the ball by throwing it over her head underneath the basket to Howard, who got fouled.
Golden State could never recover. Gabby Williams scored 15 points and Hayes added 14 for the Valkyries.
<div class="PageListEnhancementGeneric Enhancement" data-module="" data-module-trackunsubscribe="" data-align-center="">
<div class="Enhancement-item">
<div class="PageList-header" data-ishubpeektitle="">
This game was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday at the Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream play most of their home games. The league was able to work with the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/dream-wnba-finals-home-742336e0574f65cfd5447d550100280f" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">to play the next two games</a> of the championship series there so that they could have a much bigger crowd. Gateway only seats 3,500. State Farm Arena can seat more than 17,000 fans.
“Protect home court,” Howard said of the team’s focus. “Giving our fans a show. We fought for this arena so we had to protect it. It’s big. We went and stole one but we can’t let them come in and do the same thing.”
Wednesday night’s game was sold out as is Game 4 on Saturday, which will also be played at State Farm Arena. The crowd included many music stars, including Ludacris.
The game got off to a slow start as Atlanta led 9-1 after the first five minutes. Golden State missed its first eight shots before Aminata Gueye scored the first basket for the Valkyries with 4:39 left. They got within 13-10 before Naz Hillmon hit consecutive 3-pointers and then Reese hit one. The Dream led 23-15 after the opening quarter.
The hot 3-point shooting continued in the second quarter as Atlanta built its lead to 37-26 midway through the period. Golden State was able to hang around and only trailed 46-40 at the break as the teams combined to shoot 15-for-31 (48%) from behind the arc. That was more made 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes then in either Game 1 or Game 2.
Reese had 15 points and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Janelle Salaun had 11 for the Valkyries.
<div id="optimizelyHubpeekId" class="optimizelyHubpeekClass"></div>
Game 1 and 2 had huge ratings with the opener on NBC averaging 2.1 million, the most ever to watch a first game of the Finals. Game 2, which was broadcast on USA Network, averaged 1.33 million viewers.
</div>
</div>
</div>

2026-finals-dream-valkyries-game-3-recap

Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream (Finals, Game 3)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Angel Reese sent the message loud and clear to her teammates: “I need the ball! I need the ball!”
In front of the Golden State Valkyries’ raucous home crowd, the Atlanta star had no choice but to raise her voice — and Reese knew she had to raise her game, too.
She delivered with 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals after she struggled down the stretch in the series opener, and the Dream stymied Golden State on both ends in the second half to beat the Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night and even the best-of-seven matchup at one game apiece.
“For me, I think I let my team down last game not really contributing as much as I could in the second half,” Reese said. “Not even just about scoring, my screen quality, me hustling and running to get rebounds, just doing the things that they know me to do. So I just wanted to make sure I came out tonight and left my mark and did whatever I could to get the win, and I think I did that tonight.”
Rhyne Howard set a Finals record with six steals, Allisha Gray added 18 points, and Jordin Canada contributed 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Dream earned the franchise’s first Finals victory after going winless in three previous trips — 0-10 overall. They now head home having salvaged a split in front of the boisterous “Ballhalla” crowd at Chase Center.
“It’s just the next step of who Atlanta is,” Reese said.
Reese became the third player with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Jonquel Jones for Connecticut in 2019 and Breanna Stewart for Seattle in 2020.
Atlanta coach Karl Smesko could see the focus in his superstar’s face before the game, and Reese’s teammates also saw it.
<div class="PageListEnhancementGeneric Enhancement" data-module="" data-module-trackunsubscribe="" data-align-center="">
<div class="Enhancement-item">
<div class="PageList-header" data-ishubpeektitle="">
“She was definitely way more aggressive, she had a great game,” Valkyries center Kiah Stokes said. “We let everyone kind of have their way.”
Game 3 is Wednesday in Atlanta, where <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/dream-wnba-finals-home-742336e0574f65cfd5447d550100280f" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">the next two matchups were moved</a> to the NBA Hawks’ State Farm Arena so more fans could attend. It holds more than 17,000, as opposed to the Dream’s regular home, Gateway Center Arena, which accommodates only 3,500.
Chase Center holds 18,064 and has sold out every game since the Valkyries began playing last year.
Gabby Williams finished with 14 points on 3-for-15 shooting after she was the only Golden State player to score in double figures with 26 points in <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/dream-valkyries-wnba-finals-allisha-gray-3b6a12ec1a753c1eb50cff3e205664ae" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Saturday’s 68-64 Game 1 win</a>. The Valkyries shot 34.4% and went 7 for 24 from 3-point range.
“We shot terribly,” point guard Veronica Burton said. “We missed shots that we make all the time.”
Foul trouble almost did in the Dream this time — but Reese simply wouldn’t have it. She went scoreless in the second half of the opener but delivered the big baskets and key defensive stops two days later, finishing 10 for 16 from the floor while dishing out three assists and blocking two shots.
“We watched film and saw the things that we messed up on. When I said that they didn’t do anything to mess us up, it was literally just us,” Reese said. “And we can see that tonight. And we’re gonna carry that over in Atlanta. Atlanta, y’all better pull up and pop out, I’m looking forward to it.”
Atlanta scored 24 points off Golden State’s 19 turnovers to hand the Valkyries their first loss in regulation since a 73-70 defeat at Chicago on Aug. 21. The Dream had just eight points off turnovers in Game 1 but returned to the defensive formula that advanced Atlanta this far.
“We just got back to our identity about who we are and kept our foot on the pedal,” Reese said. “We didn’t let up and everybody was just on the same page, we had each other’s back. That’s just Atlanta basketball.”
</div>
</div>
</div>

2026-finals-dream-valkyries-game-2-recap

Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (Finals, Game 2)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gabby Williams converted two free throws with 1:18 left to put Golden State ahead, two more with 4.1 seconds to go and finished with 26 points facing constant pressure from Atlanta’s stingy defense, and the Valkyries held off the Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday.
Williams scored 16 of her points in the second quarter and no other Valkyries reached double figures as they shot 32.1% and 7 of 33 from 3-point range.
“We always knew we were going to find a way somehow,” Williams said on the microphone postgame as fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!”
Rhyne Howard missed a 3-point try with 1:09 left but Angel Reese made a steal moments later. Naz Hillmon missed from deep. Kiah Stokes missed the first of two free throws with 23.8 seconds left. Then Allisha Gray missed a 3 with 9 seconds left.
Williams then hit the free throws a few seconds later to seal the victory.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night back at Chase Center, where the ear-piercing noise from a raucous “Ballhalla” crowd made for the exact hostile environment Valkyries coach <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/natalie-nakase-wnba-finals-valkyries-28a4cab5793e6ca58061aa52ca8b5902" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Natalie Nakase</a> requested from the home fans.
One of these two franchises will capture its first championship, and if the first game is any indication it’s going to be an all-out defensive fight.
Gray returned from injury to score 19 points, Reese added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Jordin Canada contributed eight points, seven assists and five rebounds for the Dream, hitting a timely 13-foot jumper with 4:23 remaining.
Williams’ driving layup with 3:22 to play pulled Golden State within 62-61. Canada banged awkwardly into Williams’ knee on a box out during her late free throws and the Valkyries star was being cared for by an athletic trainer on the bench in the waning moments.
Gray was in the starting lineup and had gone through a light practice Friday after missing the last two games of Atlanta’s sweep of the New York Liberty in the best-of-three semifinal series with an injured left ring finger — on her shooting hand.
Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes hit her face hard on the floor trying to make a steal in the closing minutes and was down with 2:38 remaining before walking off the court on her own to the locker room.

LatestFinals AP Recap

Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (Finals, Game 5)

Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream (Finals, Game 4)

Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream (Finals, Game 3)

Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (Finals, Game 2)

Game Recap: Atlanta Dream vs. Golden State Valkyries (Finals, Game 1)