SAN FRANCISCO — Angel Reese scored once in the fourth quarter and didn’t take a field-goal attempt as the Atlanta Dream’s season came down to Game 7. They needed more from her, especially late.
The Golden State Valkyries defeated Atlanta 68-63 at Chase Center on Saturday, taking the best-of-seven WNBA Finals 4-3 and winning the franchise’s first championship.
Reese had eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and four turnovers. It was the fourth straight game in which she had more turnovers than made field goals. Over that stretch, she shot 12-for-45 and committed 19 turnovers.
Golden State guard Gabby Williams provided the kind of performance Atlanta needed from its leading player. She scored 30 points, including 28 after halftime, and blocked four shots. Williams was named Finals MVP. Her 31-foot three-pointer with 2:18 left broke a 57-57 tie and gave the Valkyries a lead they held for the rest of the game.
Reese’s lone point in the fourth quarter came at the free-throw line with 18.6 seconds remaining.
Before tipoff, both teams left the court during the national anthem, as they had for each of the series’ seven games.
Reese’s Finals had started differently. With Atlanta ahead 2-1, she scored 51 points and grabbed 28 rebounds across Games 2 and 3. Before Game 4, she said she thought she was getting under Golden State’s skin.
“They’re playing into my mental game where I can take their confidence and just try to do whatever to mess them up,” Reese said.
The Valkyries won the next two games. Atlanta pushed the series to a decider with an 80-69 win on Thursday, led by a combined 44 points from Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Reese, meanwhile, made just five of 18 shots.
She scored 38 points over the final four games, 13 fewer than she had managed in Games 2 and 3 alone.
On Saturday, Jordin Canada carried much of Atlanta’s offense. Reese, though, didn’t become a scoring presence late in the game.
The Dream went without a point for the first 5:19 as Golden State opened with an 8-0 run. Reese got Atlanta on the board with a basket after collecting an offensive rebound.
Atlanta closed the first quarter trailing 14-12, then took its first lead early in the second when Reese hit a three-pointer. Canada scored 11 points in the quarter and had 13 by halftime. Golden State went more than eight minutes without making a field goal, and the Dream went into the break ahead 30-24.
At halftime, Reese had five points, seven rebounds and three turnovers. Williams had scored only two points.
Atlanta stretched its lead to 37-28 midway through the third quarter. Then Williams took over, scoring Golden State’s final 13 points of the period, including three three-pointers in a span of 56 seconds.
Reese answered one of those threes with a hook shot through contact, but missed the free throw that followed. It was her final basket of the night. Williams’ turnaround jumper with 1:05 left in the quarter put the Valkyries ahead 45-44. She scored 15 points in the third and added 13 in the fourth.
Gray’s two free throws tied the game at 55 with 3:15 remaining. Williams responded with a driving layup, and Howard tied the score again at 57 before Williams hit her long three-pointer.
After Gray missed an open layup, Williams made two free throws to put Golden State up by five with 1:40 left. Kiah Stokes then grabbed two consecutive offensive rebounds after Williams missed, putting back the second to extend the lead to 64-57 with 53.8 seconds on the clock.
Gray’s three-pointer brought Atlanta within four, but Tiffany Hayes answered with two free throws.
Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul with 18.6 seconds left. She missed her first free throw and made the second, leaving the Dream five points behind. Reese then stole a pass from Williams, and Gray hit two free throws to make it 66-63 with 10.5 seconds remaining. Veronica Burton’s free throws with 5.1 seconds left sealed the win.
Stokes finished with eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Burton had 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Hayes scored 11. Canada led Atlanta with 18 points, and Gray added 16.
Howard scored six points on 3-of-14 shooting and missed all seven of her three-point attempts. Atlanta shot 33.3% from the field and made six of 30 shots from beyond the arc.
Reese ended the series averaging 14.7 points and 12.9 rebounds, while shooting 40.5% from the field.
After Game 3, Reese described winning and helping a team win as part of what makes a player great.
“I think you become one of the greats … when you can win and impact winning,” she said.
Reese helped Atlanta get within two wins of a championship. The Dream couldn’t finish the job, and her production dipped over the final four games.
