When the Golden State Valkyries tipped off their inaugural campaign just a year ago, the Bay Area knew it was getting a passionate basketball community. Few could have predicted that by Year 2, the franchise would be standing one victory away from a WNBA Championship.
Being inside Chase Center on Monday night for Game 5 of the 2026 WNBA Finals was nothing short of transcendent. With the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 against the Atlanta Dream, the building pulsed with the kind of playoff electricity that makes the hairs on your arms stand up. By the time the final buzzer sounded on a gritty, hard-fought 64-55 Golden State victory, the sea of violet thundersticks and deafening “MVP!” chants made one thing abundantly clear: the Valkyries have built a championship identity rooted in relentless toughness.
The road to the Finals: defying expectations
Golden State’s journey to the brink of a title has been a masterclass in resilience. Earning the No. 2 seed in the regular season, the Valkyries navigated a gauntlet in the Western Conference playoffs:
- First Round vs. Dallas Wings (won 2-1): After blowing out Dallas 104-80 in the series opener at Chase Center and dropping a high-scoring Game 2 on the road (108-100), the Valkyries clamped down in a decisive Game 3 at home, grinding out a 77-73 victory to advance.
- WNBA Semifinals vs. Las Vegas Aces (won 3-0): Facing the perennial powerhouse Aces, Golden State shocked the league with a three-game sweep, taking Game 1 (71-60), surviving a nail-biter in Game 2 (83-81), and finishing the job in Las Vegas (87-77).
- The Finals rollercoaster vs. Atlanta Dream (lead 3-2): After splitting the opening two games in San Francisco (winning Game 1 68-64 before dropping Game 2 79-65), the Valkyries were blown out 97-71 in Game 3 in Atlanta. With their backs against the wall in Game 4 on the road, Golden State’s defense rose to the occasion, stealing a 67-62 win at State Farm Arena to reclaim home-court advantage for Monday’s pivotal Game 5.
Inside Game 5: defensive suffocation and big-time shot making
From the opening tip on Monday night, you could feel the physical toll Golden State’s defense was inflicting on every possession. After allowing 97 points in Game 3, the Valkyries have held the Dream to just 62 points in Game 4 and a stifling 55 points in Game 5.
In the arena, the defensive rotations looked like five players moving on a single string. Golden State held Atlanta to a brutal 29.2% shooting from the floor (19-of-65) and 23.1% from three-point range (6-of-26). Even more telling: the Dream never led by more than a single point the entire night, and Golden State turned 15 Atlanta turnovers into 21 crucial points while blocking nine shots.
Every time Angel Reese caught the ball on the block or crashed the offensive glass, she was met with early physical body contact, active hands digging at the ball, and disciplined verticality.
Frustrating Angel Reese and the Atlanta interior
The defining storyline of Game 5 was how completely the Valkyries disrupted Angel Reese and Atlanta’s interior rhythm. After Reese dominated the paint during the first two games at Chase Center, Golden State’s frontcourt, anchored by veteran center Kiah Stokes, built a wall.
Every time Reese caught the ball on the block or crashed the offensive glass, she was met with early physical body contact, active hands digging at the ball, and disciplined verticality. While Reese still battled for 15 rebounds, the Valkyries frustrated her all night on the offensive end, holding her to just 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting with three turnovers and four personal fouls. Outside of Rhyne Howard’s 20 points, nobody in an Atlanta uniform could find breathing room, as Jordin Canada (5-of-16) and Allisha Gray (4-of-12) were hounded at the point of attack.
Timely buckets in an electric atmosphere
In a defensive rock fight where every basket feels like it’s worth five points, the Valkyries delivered daggers whenever Atlanta threatened to make a run:
Kiah Stokes
13 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK
Anchored the paint defense on Angel Reese and stepped out to bury 3-of-4 from beyond the arc (5-of-6 FG overall), sparking postgame "MVP!" chants.
Veronica Burton
13 PTS, 8 REB, 4 BLK
Played 37 relentless minutes, swatting four shots from the guard spot and hitting clutch jumpers to steady the offense.
Cecilia Zandalasini
12 PTS, 3 REB, +9
Provided instant shot-creation off the bench (5-of-10 FG, 2-of-4 3PT) and finished with a game-high +9 plus/minus.
Tiffany Hayes
12 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST
Attacked downhill fearlessly, going a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line and pulling down three crucial offensive rebounds.
Gabby Williams
9 PTS, 6 REB, 3 STL
Hounded Atlanta's perimeter ball-handlers for 34 minutes, disrupting passing lanes and igniting transition opportunities.
Looking ahead to Game 6: conquering the cross-country morning tip
Now, the Valkyries face one final hurdle to hoist the trophy: Game 6 tomorrow (Thursday, October 29) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Beyond the hostile road environment and a desperate Atlanta team fighting to keep its season alive, Golden State has to contend with one of the toughest logistical scheduling quirks in sports. Tip-off in Atlanta is set for 12:30 PM EDT, which means a 9:30 AM PDT body-clock start for the Valkyries after flying over 2,100 miles across three time zones following Monday night’s emotional high.
Early weekday matinee games on the East Coast are notorious traps for West Coast teams. Shootaround protocols get condensed, pregame meals happen at dawn, and legs can feel heavy in the opening quarter before the adrenaline kicks in.
3 reasons the Valkyries are built to overcome the 9:30 AM PT start
- Defense travels (and doesn’t care about time zones): Jump shots can be erratic when your circadian rhythm is off at 9:30 AM PT, but defensive effort, communication, and physical box-outs require zero shooting touch.
- Tested in early starts: Golden State has already proven they can win early on the East Coast against this exact team, including a 10:00 AM PDT win in Atlanta on July 4 (88-83) and a 10:00 AM PDT road triumph in Game 4 this past Saturday (67-62).
- Veteran poise: With battle-tested leaders like Kiah Stokes, Tiffany Hayes, and Gabby Williams setting the tone, this locker room won’t let travel fatigue become an excuse.
As Stokes told the roaring Chase Center crowd after the confetti of Game 5 settled: “We got one more.” Whether you’re brewing coffee at 9:00 AM tomorrow across the Bay Area or heading to the watch party at Chase Center, the Golden State Valkyries are 40 minutes of lockdown basketball away from bringing a championship home.