Valkyries retain, relish their Ballhalla advantage in bruising win over Dream

The building is undefeated. 

The magic continues.

On Saturday afternoon the Golden State Valkyries defended their spectacular home court. They put together another fourth quarter comeback, to take Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, 68-64, handing the Atlanta Dream their first loss of the playoffs and leaving the Dream frustrated. 

"I mean, we were right there," said Dream coach Karl Smesko. "Right there. So that's why it hurts a little bit. But it also motivates us."

The Dream were right there, leading most of the game. Until suddenly they weren't. Their lead slipped away in the final minutes, as the Valkyries, led by Gabby Williams, played with composure, the building exploded with noise and the momentum settled decisively onto the Golden State bench.

Williams led all scorers with 26 points, including eight key points down the stretch. This week she revealed to the media how much she likes math and how, in her head, she breaks the game down into possessions and points. 

Here's some math many, including Williams, might enjoy. Saturday' win + three more = a Valkyries WNBA championship.

The first game of this Finals matchup was exactly what was promised. The game was a defensive battle - the Valkyries only scored nine points in the third quarter and held the Dream to just eight points in the fourth - and the physicality was extreme. 

Tiffany Hayes' head slammed onto the court late in the game, and she stayed down, eventually leaving the court and never returning to action. Veronica Burton was whacked in the nose by Angel Reese. Williams was plowed over at the line by Jordin Canada and limped up the court. But the rough play wasn't one sided; the Valkyries also dished it out and left Dream bodies flying. 

"It was a physical game," Natalie Nakase said. "We understand it's the playoffs. So that's just part of it."

Burton said, "It's the finals, so you expect some of it… handle the physicality. We can't get too caught up in things like that. We knew it was going to be physical."

We also knew it was going to be loud. Frenetic. Joyful. And Ballhalla was all that and more.

Before the game, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, in what was basically her farewell address, lauded the environment at Chase Center and Joe Lacob's team for providing "a great playbook for how you do a startup in this league."

The culture the Valkyries have created was on full display in Game 1, for a national audience that may not have tuned into a game before this. The crowd was loud at tip off, dressed for an early violent-toned Halloween, holding aloft signs like "Dream Crushers" and "Ballhalla is my safe space" - an homage to a Williams quote. 

Their sibling team, the Warriors, showed out in force: Steve Kerr was in the house, along with Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg and Stephen Curry (though he was never shown on the big screen). Too Short, the Valkyries' lucky charm, was there. 

And as the game went on, and stayed close, the crowd roared. The team calls the crowd their sixth man and it truly was Saturday. With every Golden State push, the crowd reached a higher level.

"I did feel a different roar," Nakase said, who had urged the fans to show hostility to the visitors. "So great job! But hey, level up. We've got Game 2. It has to be better. We're going to ask more from our players so… let's get a better Game 2. Rest and recover, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight."

The Valkyries haven't lost at home since August 19. The Dream hasn't lost anywhere since August 28. DeWanna Bonner, who joined the team on Aug. 27 from Phoenix, hadn't ever lost in a Dream uniform until Saturday. The Dream was 5-0 through its first two playoff series., sweeping the Mystics and the Liberty.

Something had to give on Saturday. What rose up late was the Valkyries late-game composure, earned this postseason in tough games against Dallas and the Aces.

"Going into overtime with the Aces, coming back from 16 (down) with Dallas," Nakase said. "All those moments and game situations are definitely building our experience and, more importantly, our composure. And our clarity on what we should be running and how we should be executing on both ends.

"I love it because it makes them watch more film, too. When we're on the same page, we're pretty confident and composed at the same time."

Atlanta has plenty of film to watch, as well, and plenty to clean up. The team whose forte is hitting the boards were outrebounded 41-35 by the Valkyries. Reese didn't score in the second half. The Dream gave up 17 points off of turnovers.

Atlanta will be desperate for a split in Game 2 on Monday night. Right now, the series math - as Williams could tell them - is working against the Dream. 

Because 1 driven team + 18,000 fans = an equation that is tough to solve.

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This article originally published at Valkyries retain, relish their Ballhalla advantage in bruising win over Dream.