The Golden State Valkyries are one win away from a championship. After beating the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5, they lead the WNBA Finals 3-2, and they get their first shot at the title on Thursday at State Farm Arena. Atlanta has to win to force a Game 7. This one is also an early tip. The league moved Game 6 up to 12:30 p.m. ET, which is 11:30 a.m. here in Central time, so plan your lunch break around it.
Game 6 at a Glance
| Matchup | Golden State Valkyries at Atlanta Dream |
| Series | Valkyries lead 3-2 |
| When | Thursday, Oct. 29, 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. Central) |
| Where | State Farm Arena, Atlanta |
| TV | USA, Peacock |
| Line | Atlanta is a 3.5-point favorite, with the total around 146.5 |
Where We Left Off
I covered Game 5 in detail here. The short version: Golden State’s defense took over again. Atlanta shot 29.2 percent from the field and 6 of 26 from three, and the Valkyries turned 17 Dream turnovers into 21 points. Rhyne Howard scored 20 for Atlanta, but Angel Reese was held to seven points after scoring eight in Game 4.
Three Things to Watch
1. Can Atlanta find its shot? The Dream have scored 62 and 55 points in the last two games. This is the same team that put up 97 in Game 3 on this floor. Atlanta does not need to be perfect, but it needs someone besides Howard to hit shots early and give the home crowd something to get behind.
2. Angel Reese around the rim. Reese is still crashing the glass, with 15 rebounds in Game 5, and Atlanta out-rebounded Golden State 52-37 in that game. The problem is finishing. She has been held under 10 points in back-to-back games. If she turns those offensive rebounds into points, this series is probably going seven.
3. Kiah Stokes and the Golden State defense. Stokes has 17 blocks in this series, and she already holds the Finals record. Veronica Burton had four blocks of her own in Game 5. The Valkyries have held Atlanta to 62 and 55 points in their last two wins.
The Rest of the Series
| Game | Date | Location | Result / Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Valkyries 64, Dream 55 |
| Game 6 | Thu., Oct. 29 | Atlanta | 12:30 p.m., USA |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | San Francisco | 8 p.m. |
*If necessary
I Will Be in the Building
I will be at State Farm Arena for Game 6. It will be my first trip back to the building since it was still Philips Arena, and I will have my own photos from the arena in the Game 6 recap.
My Pick
I had the right team in Game 5, and Golden State has won the last two games with defense. But Atlanta is 15-7 at home this season, the books have the Dream favored, and I think the home crowd gives them one more push. Howard has been the steadiest player on the floor for Atlanta, and I expect Reese to finally break through. Dream 74, Valkyries 69.
That would send the series back to San Francisco for Game 7 on Saturday. I am ready for Game 6.
Featured photo: Te-Hina Paopao of the Atlanta Dream shooting a free throw by Michael Cohn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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