Angel Reese scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Golden State Valkyries did not let her make another field goal.
Reese went 0-for-5 over the final three quarters of Golden State's 68-64 win over the Atlanta Dream. She still finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 24 seconds left, and she went 4-of-7 at the free throw line.
Reese was named 2026 Defensive Player of the Year with 46 of 74 votes. Five of her 12 rebounds Saturday came on the offensive glass, but Golden State won the rebounding battle 41-35 and the offensive boards 12-7.
Kiah Stokes, who blocked a career-high seven shots against Atlanta during the regular season, blocked four more Saturday.
"Just tried to make things difficult, as difficult as possible," Stokes said. "She definitely got going in the first half and we just want to limit her touches, and a big emphasis on boxing out and rebounding."
Golden State Changed the Matchup on Reese
The four blocks tied Stokes' playoff career high. She added 9 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes.
Stokes was named to the All-Defensive Team this season, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before tip-off that six of the 10 players with All-Defensive honors would play in Game 1.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said her staff did well calling when to switch coverages and how to finish them.
"I thought L.A. did a fantastic job with that matchup," Nakase said. "L.A. had great energy. She was kind of our insight with this game plan, and so you could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup."
"Of course she's going to say it's team defense," Nakase continued. "It was everyone being on the same string. Just calling her number or whether -- it's just getting back in transition, I thought L.A. just did a phenomenal job, and then protecting the rim. She was really key tonight for our success."
Laeticia Amihere, the player Nakase referred to as L.A., finished with a steal and a block.
Golden State had 10 blocks and 7 steals as a team. Atlanta shot 4-of-25 from 3-point range, committed 12 turnovers, and scored 8 points in the fourth quarter.
The Dream did not score after Rhyne Howard's two free throws with 3:12 left gave them a 64-61 lead.
Valkyries Win With Defense and Rebounding
Kaila Charles grabbed a playoff career-high 10 rebounds, 3 of them offensive. She added 7 points, 2 steals, and a block in 30 minutes, and she made 1-of-4 from 3-point range.
Spacing is everything for Gabby Williams and the Valkyries, in the fourth quarter and in general. Williams scored a game-high 26 points.
"Kiah and Kai made game-winning plays tonight," Williams said. "Kiah got a big O board after I missed a layup, she got the O board and got the lid off the basket. We got going after that."
"And same with Kai," Williams added. "Kai made a huge defensive stop into transition, got a wide open layup and those are the kind of things that when shots aren't falling, those are the kind of plays that are going to win these kinds of games."
Golden State leans on its depth. Nakase calls it strength in numbers.
"It's funny because someone asked about Kai earlier and so how important she is," Nakase explained. "Her engine was on full throttle tonight. She had emptied the tank the minute she stepped on that floor. You could feel her and you could feel when I took her out, we were missing that."
"She led us in rebounds and she led us with 10," Nakase continued. "Her fight was unmatched tonight and was exactly what we needed. Her composure too on when to punch and when to get to the basket. I thought she did a steady job. She had a crucial three when we needed it. Kai was our pure remedy tonight. That's what she was."
Golden State Wins Despite Poor Shooting
Kaitlyn Chen gave the Valkyries their first made 3 of the game after an 0-for-8 start, banking one in from the left wing just before the shot clock expired.
She scored 5 straight points during a 9-0 first-quarter run.
Golden State shot 7-of-33 from 3-point range and 25-of-78 from the field, and Williams was the only Valkyrie in double figures.
In the semifinal opener against the Las Vegas Aces, the Valkyries controlled the boards on the way to a 3-0 sweep.
The teams meet again Monday at Chase Center at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.