Keep track of the Golden State Valkyries’ quest to take a 2-0 lead in the 2026 WNBA Finals.
The Golden State Valkyries have a prime opportunity for a eureka moment.
Photo: Donnoir Vinculado, Ballislife.com
Golden State can go up by two in its WNBA Finals fracas with the Atlanta Dream on Monday night at Chase Center: the Valkyries earned a gritty, grinding 68-64 victory in the weekend’s opener and can take a commanding 2-0 lead in front of Ballhalla.
Gabby Williams broke out for 26 points in the opening win, which included the clinching free throws at the end of the game. Golden State countered the Dream’s dominating rebounding prowess with a combined 21 boards from reserves Laeticia Amihere, Kaila Charles, and Tiffany Hayes. Charles pulled in 10 alone during her busiest night of the postseason, playing 30 minutes in the narrow victory.
Atlanta was paced by 19 points from Allisha Gray and a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double for Angel Reese. The good news for the Dream is that the longtime sharpshooter Gray is fully removed from the injury report after she was labeled questionable for Game 1. Gray missed the final two games of Atlanta’s swept semifinal set with the New York Liberty due to a finger injury.
Already facing some dire history after dropping Game 1 (Game 1 winners are 21-8 in the prior 29 editions of the WNBA Finals), the Dream are looking to avoid a statistical death sentence on Monday night: no team has ever erased a 2-0 deficit in the championship series since it became a best-of-five set in 2005.
Dream 79, Valkyries 65
(Series tied 1-1)
Dream (79)
POINTS: Angel Reese (30)
ASSISTS: Jordin Canada (10)
REBOUNDS: Angel Reese (16)
Valkyries (65)
POINTS: Tiffany Hayes/Gabby Williams (14)
ASSISTS: Kaitlyn Chen/Tiffany Hayes (3)
REBOUNDS: Kiah Stokes (11)
4th Quarter: Dream 79, Valkyries 65
0.0―A Canada single and an Amihere double closes out score, and the series is officially tied at one apiece. (79-65 ATL)
54.0―Charles and Howard get together on the floor leading to a confrontation, but cooler heads prevail.
1:00―Burton hits a three but Charles can’t get one on the next possession. The latter miss allows Reese to secure her 15th rebound. (78-63 ATL)
1:41―After Hillmon wins a tip from Amihere, Reese enters a triple decade with a layup. It’s also Canada’s 10th assist on the night. (78-60 ATL)
1:55―Hayes picks up her fifth foul and that sends Gray to the line. Williams hits the former of her pair and Williams is taken out for Burton. (76-60 ATL)
2:14―A Canada foul will put Hayes on the line but Atlanta has taken a timeout to challenge her third charge. The call is upheld. Hayes hits one. (75-60 ATL)
2:30―Reese back to the line after securing 14th rebound. Stokes committed her fourth foul. Reese makes the latter. (75-59 ATL)
2:50―Golden State loses valuable time on a Canada steal but Williams does hit a two on the other end. Atlanta calls timeout to stop the potential momentum before it gets truly rolling. (74-59 ATL)
4:02―Chen hits two at the line on Gray’s third foul but time is running thing for the hosts. (74-57 ATL)
4:15―Reese immediately fires back with a three of her own. Now with 27 points is Reese, while Canada has her ninth assist. (74-55 ATL)
4:32―Charles does what she can to keep the Golden State comeback effort alive with a three (71-55 ATL)
4:50―Her foul trouble long forgotten, Howard scores in the mid-range out of the timeout. (71-52 ATL)
5:08―A Hayes foul on Gray, her fourth, follows a Williams misfire, limiting the Valkyries to one point on this increasingly vital trip down the floor. Timeout Dream, still up 17.
5:21―Reese finally picks up her forth foul, which sends Hayes to the line. She hits one, but Reese is immediately called for her fifth foul on the box out for the rebound. Still Valkyrie ball. (69-52 ATL)
5:47―On a brutal shooting night, Williams finally sinks her first three, this one coming on her fifth attempt with an extra point on the line. (69-51 ATL)
6:06―Canada back to the line on Burton’s fifth foul. She hits two to add a second decade to the lead. (69-48 ATL)
7:10―Timeout Golden State after a tangle-up between Charles and Hillmon leads to a jumpball. Golden State gets a few more opportunities but they fall short and fail to cut into the lead.
8:11―Gray immediately atones for the foul with a three that extends Atlanta’s largest lead. (67-48 ATL)
8:29―Hayes stems the bleeding with an acrobatic double after a Stokes block of Hillmon. She’s fouled by Gray but misses the and-one (64-48 ATL)
9:00―A Bonner steal turns into a Burton foul on a fastbreak, now her fourth. Bonner hits two. (64-46 ATL)
9:15―Canada to the line on a Burton foul, her third. Amidst consternation from the Ballhalla, Canada sinks two and she’s in double figures (62-46 ATL)
3rd Quarter: Dream 60, Valkyries 46
0.0―A desperation heave from Canada, one launched with her heels on the midcourt logo, banks in perfectly, and the Dream has a commanding 14-point lead after a half-hour of play. (60-46 ATL)
24.7―A Hayes foul, her third, puts Reese at the line. She hits two. (57-46 ATL)
47.0―Reese immediately responds with a two of her own for 22 (55-46 ATL)
53.2―Burton stems the bleeding with an acrobatic drive (53-46 ATL)
1:21―Despite Golden State calls for a travel, Hillmon goes to the line on a Hayes foul. She sinks two to grow the lead. (53-44 ATL)
1:49―Eager to stop Reese, Stokes fouls her, the third for the purple center. Reese hits two at the line. It’s Atlanta’s largest lead of the game. (51-44 ATL)
2:34―A Bonner steal of Hayes leads to a Chen foul and free throws for Gray. She sinks both. (49-44 ATL)
3:06―Chen hits a two but misses an opportunity to take the lead on the other end. Bonner makes her pay with a double of her own. (47-44 ATL)
4:49―After held in check during the second of Game 1, Reese gets on the board in the second half of Game 2 in emphatic fashion: driving directly upon Stokes, Reese sinks a two and draws a foul. Free throw for her coming after a media timeout. She hits the freebie. (45-42 ATL)
5:39―Chen atones for her prior foul with an equalizing double (42-42)
6:46―Both teams getting good looks early but turnovers and misfires defining the second half so far. Golden State’s fourth, a Chen pass intercepted by Bonner, leads to a foul on the fastbreak. Bonner is going to the line but it will be reviewed for a potential upgrade. It remains a personal foul, Chen’s second. Bonner hits the two for the lead back. (42-40 ATL)
8:48―After a demonstrative rejection of Reese, Stokes is charged with an away-from-the-play foul. Gray hits the awarded free throw (40-40)
9:31―A Williams steal from Howard leads to a Burton three and yet another lead transfer (40-39 GSV)
Halftime Leaders
Dream (39)
POINTS: Angel Reese (15)
ASSISTS: Jordin Canada (7)
REBOUNDS: Angel Reese (7)
Valkyries (37)
POINTS: Tiffany Hayes (10)
ASSISTS: Veronica Burton (2)
REBOUNDS: Veronica Burton/Kiah Stokes (4)
2nd Quarter: Dream 39, Valkyries 37
2.5―Bonner gives the Dream a silencing halftime lead with a mid-range two. It’s the last scoring of the half as Golden State doesn’t get anything off thereafter. (39-37 ATL)
57.0―After a missed Gray three, Hayes once again puts in a two. Tie game and she’s at 10 points. (37-37)
1:17―Fresh out of the time out, Hayes scores off the feed from Stokes to end the deluge (37-35 ATL)
1:32―After Borlase rejects Veronica Burton, Gray sinks a three to boost this run to 10 unanswered. Timeout Golden State (37-33 ATL)
2:02―Borlase draws a foul on a drive, this one to Chen. She hits two for the lead back as Atlanta’s unanswered point tally hits seven. (34-33 ATL)
2:36―Following a Hayes foul out of the timeout, Canada drives for two to reduce the gap to one. (33-32 GSV)
2:53―An Amihere foul leads to a media timeout.
3:17―Another Reese double, another Canada helper, 15 and 5 respectively. Reese has half of Atlanta’s 30 points. (33-30 GSV)
3:53―Reese immediately gets to work on the offensive. Though Charles forced a jumpball, Reese wins it back and gets to the line on Charles’ first foul. She hits one of two and a Borlase three falls short on a Hillmon offensive board. (33-28 GSV)
4:14―Having re-entered the game earlier, Howard is charged with an early fourth foul, this one granting Zandalasini two free throws. Howard sits for Reese while Zandalasini hits two (33-27 GSV)
4:57―Amidst an exchange of turnovers and misfires, Reese is now charged with her third foul, one that will put Williams to the line. She sits down for Hillmon while Williams hits her singles to establish a long-sought two-possession lead (31-27 GSV)
7:04―A Reese foul, her second, will put Williams to the line for three. She hits all three for, you guessed it, another lead change. (29-27 GSV)
7:23―Gray scores on a lead switch and an inbound under the basket from Canada, her fourth helper. (27-26 ATL)
7:45―Golden State put in its entire starting five back in after the timeout. Williams gets to the line on a Canada foul (her second) and hits two for the lead back. (26-25 GSV)
7:55―Yet another interior deuce from Reese, backing down Laeticia Amihere, leads to another lead switch and a Golden State timeout. A dozen tallies for Reese. (25-24 ATL)
8:37―Hayes drives right back to grant Golden State the lead back (24-23 GSV)
9:02―A Borlase steals becomes a coast-to-coast tally for Reese, who becomes the first scorer in double-figures as she gives Atlanta the lead back. (23-22 ATL)
9:32―Gray immediately narrows the gap to a possession with a three (22-21 GSV)
9:48―Away from the ball on an inbound, Howard is charged with her third foul after running into Hayes. Borlase checks for Howard while Hayes hits the awarded single (22-18 GSV)
1st Quarter: Valkyries 21, Dream 18
2.0―Chen with a scoop lay-up after blocks for Reese and Charles ends the period. Golden State up three after one.
1:04―Shortly after re-entering for Okot, Reese is fouled by Gueye and goes to the line. She hits two (19-18 GSV)
1:41―Three-pointer for Charles, off the second assist for Kaitlyn Chen (19-16 GSV)
1:56―Salaun immediately called for a foul which sends Bonner to the line. She makes one of two amidst continued moving pieces for each side, which includes entries for Aminata Gueye and Madina Okot. (16-16)
2:09―Leading a near all-substitute revue for Golden State (Thornton is the only starter on the floor), a Tiffany Hayes drives leads to an and-one. Gray, who had re-entered for Howard, is called for the foul and Hayes sinks the single for the lead. Janelle Salaun comes in for Thornton. (16-15 GSV)
3:03―Canada finds Reese for another double and the lead back (15-13 ATL)
3:46―Off Reese’s third offensive board of the day, Canada sinks an equalizing three (13-13)
4:30―Kaila Charles, who entered for Williams after the timeout, instantly sinks a three upon her entry (13-10 GSV)
4:45―Howard is charged with her second foul, which leads to a media timeout. Howard remains in but Gray and Naz Hillmon sit down for DeWanna Bonner and Isobel Borlase.
5:00―Golden State fails to capitalize on a pair of Stokes blocks, and Reese gets the rebound of a Howard miss to tie the game (10-10)
5:23―Another offensive rebound, this one on Kayla Thornton’s putback, gives Golden State the lead (10-8 GSV)
5:49―Zandalasini scores and ties the game on a three, a second chance opportunity thanks to a Stokes offensive board (8-8)
6:28―The first conventional three of the game is sunk by Howard off the feed from Jordin Canada (8-5 ATL)
6:58―Cecilia Zandalasini fouls Allish Gray on a three and she sinks the trio at the foul line (5-5)
7:54―The first foul of the game is an and-one, as Burton goes to the line on a drive and Rhyne Howard foul. She hits the freebie (5-2 GSV)
8:53―A Gabby Williams turnaround ties the game (2-2)
9:14―After the teams exchange turnovers, Reese drives for the opening two (2-0 ATL)
10:00―Angel Reese wins the tip from Kiah Stokes and Game 2 is underway
Pregame
Who: (4) Atlanta Dream @ (2) Golden State Valkyries
What: WNBA Finals, Game 2 (GSV leads series 1-0)
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Watch: 8 p.m. ET, USA/CNBC/E!/Peacock
Who’s Favored: GSV -2.5 (O/U: 152.5)
Starting Lineups
DREAM: Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese
VALKYRIES: Veronica Burton, Kiah Stokes, Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Cecilia Zandalasini
Injuries
DREAM: Brionna Jones (OUT, leg)
VALKYRIES: None
Referees: Agon Abazi, Tiara Cruse, Kevin Fahy, Angel Kent
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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