SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — The Golden State Valkyries turned Game 5 of the WNBA Finals into a defensive grind—and made every stop count. Kiah Stokes anchored the effort, Veronica Burton disrupted Atlanta across the floor, and the Valkyries beat the Dream 64-55 on Monday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Golden State is now one win from its first championship, in just its second season.
The difference came after halftime. Atlanta pulled within 34-31 on a Rhyne Howard three-point play late in the third quarter, but the Valkyries answered with stops, forced turnovers and timely scoring. Stokes hit a three with 2:46 left in the quarter, then struck again in the fourth as the Chase Center crowd roared. Golden State turned Atlanta’s 17 turnovers into 21 points.
Stokes finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. She helped hold Angel Reese to seven points on 2-for-8 shooting. Reese grabbed 15 rebounds and had five assists, but Golden State repeatedly kept her from establishing a scoring rhythm near the basket.
Burton matched Stokes with 13 points and added eight rebounds and four blocks. Her four blocks tied a WNBA Finals record for a guard. Tiffany Hayes and Cecelia Zandalasini each scored 12, giving the Valkyries needed support on a night when leading scorer Gabby Williams struggled to shoot.
The teams combined for only 47 points in the first half, the lowest-scoring first half in WNBA Finals history. Golden State led 25-22 at the break, then found enough offense to pull away without letting Atlanta find its own. The Dream shot 29.2% from the field and scored just 18 points in the paint.
For the Valkyries, the win showed how their defense can carry them even when their shots aren’t falling. For Atlanta, the narrow margin leaves little room for error: it must win Thursday’s Game 6 at home to keep its title hopes alive.
Golden State will get its first chance to close the series in Atlanta. If the Dream force a Game 7, the deciding game will return to Chase Center on Saturday.
