Dream 79, Valkyries 65: The foul line separates Game 2 and ties the Finals

Atlanta and Golden State made the same number of baskets Monday night. The Dream made the extra points count. Atlanta won Game 2 of the WNBA Finals 79-65 at Chase Center, tying the best-of-seven series at one game apiece before it moves to Atlanta.

The cleanest explanation is in the team shooting lines. Both clubs made 21 field goals, including seven three-pointers. That works out to 49 points from the field for each side. Atlanta added 30 made free throws; Golden State added 16. The 14-point gap at the line matched the final margin.

The same baskets, a different total

Atlanta shot 30-for-35 on free throws, an 85.7 percent conversion rate. Golden State was 16-for-19, or 84.2 percent. This was not a large difference in accuracy. It was a large difference in opportunities: 16 more attempts for the Dream, and 14 more points.

Nor does the final support an account of Atlanta simply shooting Golden State off the floor. The Dream made 21 of 62 field-goal attempts, 33.9 percent. The Valkyries made 21 of 61, 34.4 percent. Each hit seven threes, with Atlanta taking 25 attempts and Golden State 24. The Dream found a way to win a game in which neither team's outside accuracy made the outcome comfortable.

Golden State's team recap identifies the decisive stretch after a 40-40 tie early in the third quarter: Atlanta went on a 29-8 run extending into the fourth. That sequence created separation before the final score did. The foul-line accounting explains the total, while the run explains when the game got away from the Valkyries.

A tied series heads to Atlanta

Those numbers do not settle an argument about every whistle or show that free throws alone describe the quality of every possession. They do give Golden State a concrete problem for the next game. In a low-percentage shooting contest, matching an opponent's made baskets is not enough if the trips to the line are that unequal.

Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, at State Farm Arena, with an 8 p.m. Eastern start. The current team announcement lists USA and Peacock in the United States. Confirm access before making viewing plans.

Atlanta leaves San Francisco with a split instead of a 2-0 deficit. That 1-1 split also makes Game 5 necessary; Golden State lists that home game for Monday, October 26. The series now has a different shape, with neither team able to win the title in four games.