The Golden State Valkyries got absolutely smoked, falling 97-71 to the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night, and now they are staring down a 2-1 deficit in the WNBA Finals. Head coach Natalie Nakase was practically begging her team to find their fight again, but it looked like her pleas just floated into the Atlanta air. This was Game 3 in Atlanta, and if the Valkyries don’t figure something out fast, this series is gonna be over before they know it.
No Fight, All Sloppy: Valkyries Drowned in Turnovers
Seriously, the Valkyries were just as sloppy as they were back home in Game 2. You know things are bad when they didn’t lead at *any* point in the entire game. They managed to tie it up twice in the third quarter, but that’s it. Atlanta’s offense was cooking, just like it was when they took Game 2. The Dream racked up a ridiculous 22 points off of 17 Valkyries turnovers. That’s just inexcusable in the Finals, right? You can’t give a team that many free possessions and expect to win. Angel Reese, for the Dream, was absolutely dominant again, grabbing her third consecutive double-double. She had 15 points by halftime, finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a couple of three-pointers, and pulled down 12 boards. She was just getting to her spots and making it look easy.
Gabby Williams Is Struggling, But There Were Some Bright Spots That Weren’t Enough
It’s tough to watch Gabby Williams out there right now. Her inefficient scoring has been a major problem all series, and it just got worse in Game 3. Atlanta’s whole game plan was to force her into uncomfortable shot decisions, and it worked. They clogged the paint, shut down her drives, and forced her to settle for tough midrange shots she just couldn’t convert consistently. She still put up a team-high 14 points, but on a brutal 5-of-18 from the field, that’s just not going to cut it in the Finals.
Look, it wasn’t all bad. Janelle Salaün, who hasn’t seen a ton of minutes this postseason, finally showed why she was Sixth Player of the Year. She gave the offense a much-needed jolt, going 3-for-4 from deep and dropping 11 points in the first half. She was literally the only reason the Valkyries were within six points at the break. Cecilia Zandalasini also got hot from three, and the team actually shot better from the field in Game 3 than the previous two games. But none of that mattered. It wasn’t enough to overcome the turnovers, the defensive struggles, and Williams’ inability to find her rhythm.
This best-of-seven series is now 2-1 Atlanta, and Game 4 is coming up fast on Saturday, again at State Farm Arena. The Valkyries need to find that fight Nakase was talking about, and quick. This Finals run is on the ropes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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