The Golden State Valkyries are sitting on a 3-2 lead in the WNBA Finals, just one game from an improbable championship, and everyone is buzzing. But even with a title in sight, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, fresh off a win over the Nuggets, is hitting them with a dose of harsh reality. He knows what it feels like to be on the brink, and he is not shy about reminding everyone how tough that last step really is.
Draymond Green’s Gut Punch Warning
Green did not mince words when talking about the Valkyries’ amazing run, saying, “It’s super cool, but I don’t want to get beside myself, beside ourselves.” He quickly pivoted to the hard truth that comes from experience. “We’ve been in a bunch of playoff runs and title runs, and winning three games in the NBA Finals is a long way away from four.” You can practically feel the scar tissue from 2016 in his voice, even if he did not explicitly name the year. Back then, his Warriors were up 3-1 on LeBron James and Cleveland, only to watch the whole thing unravel over the next three games. Green was even suspended for Game 5 after a retaliatory swipe at James. He knows the feeling of that lead evaporating. He went on, “When you’ve done it, you understand. So they’re having a special year, but they’ve got to get one more win. Three is a long way from four. It’s a lot further away than people realize. That next game, to close out, is going to be the hardest game they’ve ever played in their lives.” Talk about a pressure cooker.
An Incredible, Two-Year Journey
This Valkyries squad, in only its second year of existence, has truly taken the league by storm. They fought their way to a 3-2 series lead against Atlanta, sealing their latest victory with a 64-55 final score. It is an incredible story, and even Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who warmed up in a Valkyries’ Veronica Burton jersey, is totally bought in. “It’s an incredible story,” Curry said, “I mean, I don’t even know how to put it. It’s a franchise on the brink of a championship, and the collection of athletes, the different stories they have, and the fact there’s such an identity that’s been formed in two years and the fanbase, and representing the Bay, it’s incredible.” Both Curry and Green, along with many other Warriors players, have been rooting them on, even attending the first two games of this WNBA Finals series.
The Valkyries now have their chance to secure the title in Game 6 on Thursday in Atlanta, with a 9:30 a.m. PT start. If Atlanta manages to force a Game 7, it would be back at Chase Center on Saturday at 5 p.m. Can the Valkyries close it out and bring home the trophy, proving Green’s words right by showing they are truly “cut out for it”? The entire basketball world is watching to see if they can conquer that “hardest game they’ve ever played.”
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.
Leave a Reply