Four games in, the WNBA Finals are right back where they started. The Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream are tied 2-2, and the series heads back to Chase Center for Game 5 on Monday night. The winner will be one game away from the first championship in franchise history. The loser will need to win two straight to get there.
Game 5 at a Glance
| Matchup | Atlanta Dream at Golden State Valkyries |
| Series | Tied 2-2 |
| When | Monday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Central) |
| Where | Chase Center, San Francisco |
| TV | USA, Peacock |
| Line | Golden State is a slight favorite, with the total around 150 |
Where We Left Off
I covered Game 4 in detail here. The short version: Golden State took a 42-26 lead into halftime in Atlanta, held Angel Reese to 8 points on 2-of-12 shooting and won 67-62. It was the Valkyries’ first road win of the series, and it took home court right back from the Dream.
Three Things to Watch
1. Turnovers, again. This has been the story of the whole series. Golden State turned it over 19 times in Game 2 and 17 times in Game 3, and lost both. In Game 4, the Valkyries committed just nine and forced 18. Whichever team takes better care of the ball on Monday is probably going to win.
2. Angel Reese’s response. Reese had a double-double in each of the first three games before Golden State shut her down in Game 4. I expect a big answer from her. If she gets going early, Atlanta’s offense opens up for everyone else.
3. Kiah Stokes in the paint. Stokes has been the quiet star of this series. She has 14 blocks in the Finals, a new Finals record, and she pulled down 16 rebounds in Game 4. Golden State outscored Atlanta 38-28 in the paint on Saturday after losing that battle 44-20 in Game 3. Watch that number.
The Rest of the Series
| Game | Date | Location | Result / Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sat., Oct. 17 | San Francisco | Valkyries 68, Dream 64 |
| Game 2 | Mon., Oct. 19 | San Francisco | Dream 79, Valkyries 65 |
| Game 3 | Wed., Oct. 21 | Atlanta | Dream 97, Valkyries 71 |
| Game 4 | Sat., Oct. 24 | Atlanta | Valkyries 67, Dream 62 |
| Game 5 | Mon., Oct. 26 | San Francisco | 8 p.m. ET, USA |
| Game 6 | Thu., Oct. 29 | Atlanta | 8 p.m. ET |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | San Francisco | 8 p.m. ET |
*If necessary
My Pick
I picked Atlanta in Game 4 and got burned, so I am going the other way this time. Golden State has the home crowd, the momentum and the best defense in the series right now. Atlanta bounced back from its Game 1 loss with a statement win, and Reese will not play that badly two games in a row, so I expect this one to be close. Valkyries 72, Dream 68.
That would put Golden State one win away, with a chance to close it out in Atlanta on Thursday. I am ready for Monday night.
Featured photo: Inside Chase Center during a Valkyries game by Sarah Stierch, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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