Down 2-1 in the WNBA Finals, Golden State plays Game 4 in Atlanta Saturday at 10 a.m. Win, and the series comes home to Chase Center tied. Lose, and the Dream are one win from the title.
ATLANTA — The Valkyries have been here before. Not this exact spot. Nobody has. But down, and looking for a way back up.
Golden State hasn’t lost three games in a row all season, according to Just Women’s Sports. Saturday morning would be the first time. It would also leave Atlanta one win from a championship.
Game 4 of the WNBA Finals tips at 10 a.m. Pacific in Atlanta. It’s on NBC and Peacock.
How we got here
The Valkyries took Game 1 at home, 68-64. Then the floor tilted. Atlanta won Game 2 in San Francisco, 79-65, and ran Golden State out of the building in Game 3, 97-71.
The Valkyries got outscored 44-20 in the paint Wednesday, according to Yahoo Sports. Gabby Williams led them with 15 points, but needed 18 shots to get there.
“We have to just go back to our defense and that will get our offense going,” Williams said.
The number that matters
Eleven-and-a-half. That’s how many turnovers a game the Valkyries averaged in the regular season, the fewest in the league.
In Games 2 and 3 they gave it away 36 times. Atlanta turned those into 46 points, according to Just Women’s Sports.
A team built on not beating itself has been beating itself. Fix that, and Game 4 looks different.
The problem in the paint
Her name is Angel Reese. She took a team-high 12 shots in Game 3 and made 58 percent of them, per Yahoo Sports. The Valkyries need to make her work for every touch, sink their guards toward her and send help when she catches it.
That leaves shooters open. Pick your poison. The Valkyries need to pick a different one than they did Wednesday.
What they’re saying
Guard Veronica Burton called for “a major sense of urgency” this week, while warning her team not to overreact.
Coach Natalie Nakase wants a sharper, more aggressive team Saturday.
“This is what brings the best out of us,” Nakase said.
What’s next
- Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. PT, at Atlanta. NBC, Peacock.
- Game 5: Monday, Oct. 26, 5 p.m. PT, at Chase Center.
- Game 6 (if needed): Thursday, Oct. 29, 5 p.m. PT, at Atlanta.
- Game 7 (if needed): Saturday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. PT, at Chase Center.
Win Saturday and it’s a best-of-three with two at home. That’s the whole season in one morning.
Set the alarm.
Photo: The Valkyries’ home court at Chase Center in San Francisco. Photo by Sarah Stierch via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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