‘No lead makes us nervous’ – How Valkyries overcame the Dream in the clutch to take Game 1 of WNBA Finals appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
SAN FRANCISCO – Pressure doesn’t faze the Golden State Valkyries anymore. Doesn’t matter if their shots are clanking off the rim, doesn’t matter if they’re trailing, doesn’t even matter if they’re getting clawed, battered, scratched, knocked around, and thrown to the floor– there isn’t a moment left in existence too big for Golden State.
And they proved it once again, in the spotlight of the WNBA Finals, dispatching the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in an ugly mudfight of a game to take a 1-0 lead in the series. But even Veronica Burton had to admit she and the Valkyries had some butterflies heading into Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, given the magnitude of what is at stake.
“You get nervous for sure. I think there’s such a balance of anxiety, anticipation, and nerves all in one, and just pure excitement,” Burton said in a small media scrum after the win. “But obviously, we missed some shots that were way off. You know, it’s just like it feels good, and then you look at it, and it’s not even close. That’s a little bit of like the first game jitters, but (we) settled in, and yeah. But never been here before, so… I get nervous.”
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But it’s one thing to feel those nerves. It’s another thing to embrace them. To let everything just… flow. To turn all that nervous energy into armor, into Teflon. And that’s precisely how Burton and the Valkyries have rolled throughout this playoff run– letting the moment fuel them, starting with their defense.
Golden State held the Dream to 2-of-19 shooting in the fourth quarter, squeezing the life out of the Atlanta offense to power their comeback. Whether it was Kaila Charles ripping the ball away from Rhyne Howard at halfcourt for a breakaway layup, Kiah Stokes wrestling down rebound after rebound to keep Angel Reese off the boards, or Cecilia Zandalasini getting her hand in the passing lanes, the Valkyries turned their defense up multiple notches, bringing the raucous Ballhalla crowd with them.
“We were super comfortable with where we were, even down three with a few minutes left,” Burton said. “And I think that is what we’ve become: no lead makes us nervous. No lead makes us feel uncomfortable.”
And when the Valkyries keep it close, Gabby Williams will take them home. Golden State’s closer knocked down six cold-blooded free throws to take the lead and put away the Dream. Williams finished with a game-high 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting, adding another signature clutch moment to a resume that grows longer and longer as this postseason run progresses.
“She is a humble superstar,” Burton said of Williams, smiling. “You’ve just seen her continue to rise to the top in the biggest moments. And she doesn’t get rattled, she doesn’t get fazed, and just over the course of the game, I think you just continue to see her elevate.”
The adjustments the Valkyries must make for Game 2
But while the Valkyries gutted out another narrow victory, there’s still work to be done going into Game 2 with a chance to jump out to a 2-0 lead on Atlanta.
“We didn’t play our best basketball, on both ends,” Charles said after the game. “When you have a week off, you’re a little rusty; your rhythm is a little off. So just continue to watch the film and make sure that we come back better, especially on the defensive end, be able to execute for 40 minutes, and just build on that.”
While Golden State did hold the Dream to only 64 points on 32.8% shooting, Atlanta found ample success against the league’s best defense. Allisha Gray collected 19 points in her first game back since her hand injury. Angel Reese bludgeoned the Valkyries in the paint for 14 points and 12 rebounds, with Stokes being the only player to truly have her number whenever they were matched up.
But the Valkyries did win the possession battle, which was one of the expected keys to this series given how both defensive-minded teams generate extra possessions by forcing turnovers and crashing the offensive glass. The Valkyries collected 12 offensive boards to Atlanta’s seven, forced the Dream into 12 turnovers to their own eight, and got up 14 more shot attempts.
As for health concerns, Golden State came out of Game 1 battered and bruised but avoided anything serious. Coach Natalie Nakase said that Tiffany Hayes is alright after leaving the game, with the veteran going through her usual medical evaluation post-game. Additionally, Gabby Williams shook off any notion that she injured her left leg after Jordin Canada collided with her on a box-out attempt after one of her free throws in the fourth, which knocked her to the floor and caused her visible discomfort for the rest of the game.
Regardless, the Valkyries met the moment of the WNBA Finals, hardening them for the three wins they still need to bring home a championship.
“You got to find different ways to win,” Burton said. “Obviously, we missed a lot of shots, missed a lot of bunnies, missed open threes. I think initially we were kind of settling for a lot of threes, and it’s just something that we learn. We’ve won from our defense. We will continue to win from our defense, and that’s the beauty about it being our identity. Because a lot of times you can’t control what happens. Yeah, we would love to clean some things up offensively and hopefully have a better performance on that side of the basketball. But to be able to still win this game when we obviously didn’t have our best outing on that side is big for us.”
Related: Gabby Williams leads Valkyries past Dream for Game 1 victory
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