ATLANTA — Kiah Stokes finished Saturday afternoon’s matchup with just four points, but by her standards this postseason, the total amounted to a scoring outburst. Having previously logged a zero-points, zero-field-goal-attempt performance across 30 minutes in the Finals, Stokes showed surprising readiness to shoot early in Game 4. Desperate after a pair of offensive struggles in Games 2 and 3, the Golden State Valkyries needed every possession they could generate.
When Veronica Burton drove the paint and kicked the ball out to Stokes a minute into the contest, the center did not hesitate. Though the initial attempt missed, it set the tone for an aggressive afternoon. Speaking to reporters after the game, Stokes explained that her five first-quarter field goal attempts were largely a byproduct of opportunity rather than design. For Stokes, launching a shot functioned primarily as a chance to secure an offensive rebound and sustain the possession.
That logic defined Golden State’s 67-62 series-tying victory against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday. The Valkyries hauled in 13 offensive rebounds—eight of them claimed by Stokes—and forced 18 turnovers to tilt the possession math back in their favor. The win forces a return to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday, followed by Game 6 back in Atlanta on Thursday.
While the Valkyries’ offensive execution looked similar to previous outings, the results felt different as Cecilia Zandalasini and Gabby Williams converted midrange fadeaways that had eluded them earlier in the series. Before Saturday, players suggested that improved defense might cure their scoring drought. However, against an Atlanta side eager to convert misses into transition opportunities, the solution ultimately worked in reverse, with offense serving as Golden State’s best transition defense.
The matchup underscored the importance of volume shooting. At halftime, the Dream managed just 19 field goal attempts compared to Golden State’s 40. Despite a strong second-half push from Atlanta, the home side finished the contest with 18 fewer shot attempts overall. On another difficult shooting night—connecting on 36 percent from the field and 16 percent from three-point range—the Valkyries needed those extra margins. Atlanta struggled similarly, shooting 33 percent overall and 17 percent from deep, while failing to capitalize at the free-throw line by missing nine of their 31 attempts.
Following losses in Games 2 and 3, the Valkyries appeared rattled, with players and head coach Natalie Nakase describing their uncharacteristic inability to dictate the pace against Atlanta. Game 4 restored their identity, bolstered by Stokes limiting Angel Reese to 2-of-12 shooting after two stellar performances from the Atlanta star.
Nakase also rolled out a tightened rotation, leaning heavily on Williams and Burton, who played nearly the entire game. Only seven players logged more than three minutes, leaving rookie Aminata Gueye on the bench after she spent the previous two games guarding Reese. Nakase further shook up the lineup by inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes. Charles contributed crucial offensive boards, while Hayes anchored the offense in the second half. Acknowledging the unusual adjustments so deep in the postseason, Nakase praised her roster’s adaptability. Spirits that appeared low midway through the series have now bought the Valkyries valuable time.
