Valkyries 67, Dream 62: Golden State finds another way to tie the Finals

Golden State did not need a sudden three-point revival to rescue its position in the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries beat Atlanta 67-62 on Saturday, tying the best-of-seven series 2-2 despite making just four of 25 shots from beyond the arc.

Gabby Williams led Golden State with 17 points. Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton scored 13 apiece, and Cecilia Zandalasini added 10. Kiah Stokes collected 16 rebounds, eight of them offensive, and blocked three shots.

The victory answered Atlanta's 97-71 win in Game 3. It also denied the Dream a 3-1 advantage. Both teams now need two more victories to win the championship.

The difference inside the arc

The clearest difference Saturday was not the three-point line. Both clubs made four. Golden State finished with 26 field goals to Atlanta's 18, including 22 two-point baskets to the Dream's 14. That produced a 44-28 edge in points from two-pointers, not a measure of paint scoring.

Atlanta recovered much of that gap at the foul line, making 22 free throws to Golden State's 11. But the Valkyries attempted 72 field goals to the Dream's 54. Atlanta's 17 turnovers, compared with nine for Golden State, help explain why the two offenses had such different numbers of shots.

Rhyne Howard scored 19 points for Atlanta. The Dream shot 18-for-54 overall and 4-for-23 from three. Golden State's 36.1 percent overall shooting was hardly comfortable, but Atlanta's 33.3 percent left little margin for its mistakes.

A series reset, not a shooting cure

A tied series does not erase the Valkyries' shooting problems. Four made threes will not always be enough. Saturday showed a second route: protect possessions, keep working for another shot and find enough scoring inside the arc. Golden State has restored the uncertainty that makes a Finals worth watching.