Valkyries' Defensive Work Wins Finals Game 1

Gabby Williams scored 26 points and made four free throws in the final 78 seconds, lifting the Golden State Valkyries to a 68-64 win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at Chase Center.

Williams Carries the Scoring Load

Williams scored 16 points in the second quarter after going scoreless in the first. No other Valkyries player reached double figures, so Williams shouldered the scoring on a difficult shooting night. Her biggest points came with 1 minute and 18 seconds remaining, after Golden State fell behind by one.

Atlanta's Allisha Gray missed a shot. Williams grabbed the rebound, and Angel Reese fouled her. Williams made both free throws to put the Valkyries ahead 65-64. With 4.1 seconds left, she sank two more from the line and sealed the four-point win.

Williams explained the change in the team's play during an on-court interview. "Once we all started having fun and the excitement got out, we started to kind of find our way." She said the team had struggled to make shots, too. "There was a lid on that basket tonight, but that's why we rely on our defence."

The Valkyries' defense allowed 335 fewer points than any other WNBA team that season. Williams, who finished runner-up to Reese in Defensive Player of the Year voting, said getting stops remained central to the team's approach. "It came down to getting stops and that's been our bread-and-butter all year," she said. "That's why we harp on it so much, because we've built such great defensive habits."

Atlanta's Fourth-Quarter Scoring Drought

Gray returned after missing two games with a hand injury and led Atlanta with 19 points. But she went scoreless in the fourth quarter, when Atlanta made just two of 19 attempts from the floor and scored eight points.

Reese had 14 points and 12 rebounds, all 14 points coming in the first half. Rhyne Howard scored 12. Reese said she hadn't been aggressive enough with the ball. "I don't think they really did anything," she said. "Maybe that was just on me; I wasn't aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and get to my spot. I'm definitely going to do a better job of that next game."

A First Title Still at Stake

Both teams are seeking their first WNBA title. Atlanta has lost in three previous Finals appearances, most recently in 2013. The Valkyries reached the playoffs in their inaugural season the previous year, becoming the first WNBA expansion franchise to do so. They're now competing for the title in their second season.

Late scoring and defense decided the opener. Williams converted the free throws that put Golden State in front, then helped protect the lead, while Atlanta's offense managed eight fourth-quarter points. The Valkyries will host Game 2 on Monday with a 1-0 series lead. The Dream will try to even the series after Gray's return and Reese's first-half scoring couldn't overcome the final-period drought.