WNBA
Photo: Markus Spiske / Pexels
Most expansion teams spend their second season figuring out the parking situation. The Golden State Valkyries spent theirs reaching the WNBA Finals, and on Saturday they won Game 1, beating the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in San Francisco.
It wasn't pretty. Atlanta led 56-51 after three quarters, and Golden State led for only about six minutes all game. Then the league's best defense clamped down: the Dream shot 2 of 20 in the fourth and missed their last seven shots. Golden State closed on a 7-0 run, and Gabby Williams (26 points) went 6 for 6 at the line, icing it with 4.1 seconds left.
"Even though we were down with a few minutes left, I think we had the game right where we wanted it," Williams said, per ESPN.
Atlanta got 19 from Allisha Gray, back from a finger injury, and 14 points and 12 rebounds from Angel Reese. Neither team has ever won a title. Game 2 is Monday at 6 p.m. MT in San Francisco.
SOURCES
ESPN: How Golden State held court to take 1-0 lead over Atlanta in WNBA Finals
ESPN box score and play-by-play data: Dream at Valkyries, WNBA Finals Game 1
ESPN (Kareem Copeland): Allisha Gray hopeful for Game 1 after finger injury
Golden State Valkyries on X: Gabby Williams' 16 second-quarter points
WNBA on X (via Valkyries): Draymond Green in the house at Game 1
