Valkyries Beat Dream to Move Within One Win of Title

Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton scored 13 points apiece as Golden State claimed a second straight win and moved within one victory of a championship in the franchise’s second season. Stokes also had eight rebounds and three blocks, while Burton added eight rebounds and four blocks. Tiffany Hayes scored 12 points off the bench.

The Valkyries held Atlanta to 22 first-half points and 55 for the game, a season low for the Dream. The combined 47 points before halftime established a WNBA Finals record for the fewest points in an opening half. Atlanta shot 29% from the field and committed 17 turnovers, which led to 21 Golden State points.

Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 20 points, while Angel Reese had seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Stokes’ defense helped limit Reese, who had scored 30 points in Game 2 and 21 in Game 3. Golden State’s Gabby Williams, the team’s leading scorer, struggled with her shot and finished with nine points.

After Stokes’ performance, fans chanted “MVP” during her on-court interview. “We got one more,” she told the crowd. Dream coach Karl Smesko said he still believed his team could win the series.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, with tipoff at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The Dream need a win to force a deciding Game 7, scheduled for Saturday at Chase Center.