If you missed the first game of the WNBA Finals or, like many lavender-clad Bay Area residents, you’re desperate to relive the Golden State Valkyries’ win while waiting for tonight’s Game 2, here are 10 takeaways that Valks fans can relish from Saturday’s game:
1.
We’ll start with some basketball. The Atlanta Dream are known for playing fast – they get a lot of steals and they race down the court finishing possessions quickly. The Valkyries have a slower style of play where they try to control the game and use more time for each possession. For the record, this does not mean the Valkyries aren’t out there hustling, it is a style of play that has worked for them all season.
So, going into this series, a lot of people were wondering which team would force the other to change. Would Atlanta speed up the Valkyries? Or would the Valkyries slow the Dream? You’re reading a list of things Valkyries fans can celebrate, so you already know the answer: Golden State dictated the style of play on Saturday, slowing the pace down. It ended up a low-scoring, 68-64 game (which, yes, the Valkyries won).
2.
Coach Natalie Nakase played 10 Valkyries, which gave the starting five enough rest to finish Game 1 strong. That was not the case for the Dream. Only eight players entered the game, and you can hardly count Madina Okot — who was on the court for less than a second of the game (just a jump ball at the end of the first half). This isn’t a huge surprise, as the Valkyries have become known for their deep bench but it could be a sign of things to come. The Dream blew a lead down the stretch. If this series goes deep, the Valkyries have trust in their bench that the Dream hasn’t shown.
3.
Neither team was shooting well on Saturday — they combined for under 33 percent from the field. On the Valkyries, only Gabby Williams scored in double digits, which means that, chances are, most of her teammates are likely to shoot better next time. As Tip Hayes told Nakase post-game, the scoring can only get better. Tonight, we’ll see.
4.
Atlanta’s Allisha Gray had been injured going into the series and the Valkyries didn’t know if she would play. That meant the team had to game plan for a Dream team both with Gray and without her. Well, now they know. Gray was back and she looked good — she led Atlanta in scoring. But the Valkyries still won and the Dream doesn’t have another surprise threat as good as Gray to add to the mix.
5.
The Dream had not lost since they signed Dewanna Bonner in late August, a span of 10 games, and the Valkyries had yet to face off against them with Bonner on the roster. Atlanta appeared unstoppable with her as an additional piece. Until Saturday. For what it’s worth, Bonner only scored two points in Game 1in her 13 minutes of play.
6.
Speaking of Bonner, even the Valkyries can celebrate “WAG” and WNBA star Alyssa Thomas being at Ballhalla. Bonner and Thomas played together all season in Phoenix before Bonner’s surprising late-season signing. Thomas wasn’t the only WNBA WAG (the term WAG stands for “wives and girlfriends” and is often used to describe the female partners of high-profile athletes). The New York Liberty’s Marine Johannès was also in attendance, supporting her partner (and French teammate) Gabby Williams. Johannès has extra reason to root for the Valkyries after Atlanta swept the Liberty in the semis. Also spotted at Ballhalla in Johannes’ section: former Valkyrie Kate Martin.
7.
Angel Reese is known as the best rebounder in the league and she led Game 1 with 12. But the Valkyries won the rebounding battle, 41-35. And, they got 12 offensive rebounds in Angel territory. Thank you, Kaila Charles and Kiah Stokes.
8.
Valkyries fans came out in violet waves on Saturday and the vibes were so adamantly kind. Even the Atlanta fans have been saying how nice people are at Ballhalla.
A tailgate with free food and drink put on by Valkyries Votaries is the epitome of the culture. There, an intergenerational crowd of friends and strangers gathered over hot dogs, showing off their Valkyries outfits on a sparkly violet carpet. It was one of several places where Valks fans could write postcards to legislators in support of trans kids. Valkyries Votaries organizers Natasha Dantzig and Katie Hensel see their tailgate as a small contribution to a broader movement that is both joyful and political. “There’s no way to separate politics from anything right now,” Dantzig said. But, she added, while she wants to “maximize every moment of togetherness to instill these values,” it’s also ok to just show up and have a hot dog.
The grill will be up and running again at their tailgate by 4 p.m. today before Game 2.
9.
Gabby Williams is not just good at basketball, she’s also something of a math nerd. At the postgame press conference on Saturday, Athletic reporter Annie Costabile asked Williams about her habit of breaking the game down by the numbers. Math, Williams said, is where her mind went in the intense last few minutes of Game 1when the Valkyries were still trailing the Dream. The math is not only calming but also strategic. Williams was counting possessions and timing her takeover. “We had the game right where we wanted it,” she said. Though the Valkyries trailed most of the game until the final minute or so, the math mathed.
10.
The Valkyries lead the series 1-0. They have yet to lose a playoff game at Ballhalla.