The Golden State Valkyries held off a late comeback from the Atlanta Dream to win 67-62 on Saturday, tying the WNBA finals at two wins each. The victory was a major turnaround for Golden State, who had lost the previous two games in the championship series by wide margins.
Golden State built a 42-26 lead by halftime behind disciplined team play and a lineup change by coach Natalie Nakase. Gabby Williams scored 17 points for Golden State, while center Kiah Stokes controlled the defense. Stokes grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots, setting a new WNBA finals record with 14 total blocks over the first four games.
Atlanta fought back during the fourth quarter behind Rhyne Howard, who finished with 19 points. The Dream cut the lead to 61-55 before Golden State guard Veronica Burton answered with an important three-point shot. Atlanta scored again to get within 66-62 with only 28 seconds remaining, but Burton added a late free throw to secure the win.
A key factor in the game was Golden State's defense against Atlanta star Angel Reese. Reese had dominated the previous two games, but the Valkyries limited her to just eight points on Saturday. With the best-of-seven series tied at 2-2, the teams will travel to California for Game 5 on Monday.