By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 25, 2026
The Atlanta Dream entered Saturday’s WNBA Finals matchup with an opportunity to move within one victory of the franchise’s first championship. Instead, a difficult first half and costly turnovers allowed the Golden State Valkyries to escape State Farm Arena with a 67-62 victory, evening the best-of-seven championship series at two games apiece.
Playing before a sold-out home crowd, Atlanta struggled to find the offensive rhythm that produced convincing victories in Games 2 and 3. The Dream fought back from a 16-point halftime deficit but could not complete the comeback.
The series now shifts to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday, October 26. Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, in Atlanta.
A Difficult Start Puts Atlanta Behind
The Dream’s problems began almost immediately.
Allisha Gray, one of Atlanta’s most important offensive contributors, picked up three personal fouls before four minutes had elapsed. Her early foul trouble disrupted the team’s rotation and limited its offensive options.
Golden State increased its defensive ball pressure, forcing Atlanta into seven first-quarter turnovers, nearly matching the eight the Dream committed during the entire Game 3 victory on Wednesday.
Golden State took advantage, building a 16-11 lead after the first quarter before extending the margin to 42-26 at halftime.
The Valkyries, who had struggled to contain Atlanta’s offense in the previous two games, increased their defensive pressure and forced the Dream into uncomfortable possessions.
“We just need to take care of the ball better, get some better shots early,” Atlanta Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “We got good shots early, they didn’t fall. We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole. I’m really happy with the fight we showed in the second half, but we can’t put ourselves in that position; we’re playing a great defensive team.”
Atlanta finished the game shooting just 33.3% from the field, including 4-for-23 (17.4%) from three-point range. The Dream converted 71% of their 31 free-throw attempts and committed a playoff-high 17 turnovers.
Those missed opportunities proved especially costly in a game decided by five points.
Howard Leads Atlanta’s Comeback
Despite the difficult opening half, the Dream refused to surrender.
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 19 points and eight rebounds, providing much of the offensive energy that brought the home crowd back into the contest.
Early in the third quarter, Howard completed a three-point play that reduced Golden State’s lead to 44-35.
Rookie Isobel Borlase followed with a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 46-40 with 4:26 remaining in the period.
Suddenly, the energy inside State Farm Arena changed.
Atlanta’s defense became more aggressive, its offensive execution improved, and the crowd responded as the Dream threatened to erase what had appeared to be a commanding Golden State advantage.
By the end of the third quarter, Atlanta had trimmed the deficit to 54-45.
But the comeback required another strong quarter, and Golden State was determined not to let the game slip away.
Reese’s Double-Double Streak Ends
Angel Reese, whose dominant performances helped Atlanta win Games 2 and 3, endured a difficult afternoon against Golden State’s defense.
Reese finished with eight points on 2-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. Her streak of three consecutive postseason double-doubles came to an end.
“I think I rushed a lot of my shots,” Reese said. “It happens. I’m looking forward to the next game.”
Golden State Head Coach Natalie Nakase credited her team’s improved defensive approach for limiting Reese’s effectiveness.
The Valkyries applied greater pressure, challenged Atlanta’s offensive movement and prevented the Dream from consistently establishing its preferred pace.
Golden State’s Gabby Williams said the adjustment was rooted in defensive execution.
“Defense,” Williams said. “Sorry to be redundant. We just picked up our ball pressure. We felt more connected today.”
Nakase also pointed to the team’s aggressiveness and ball movement.
“We were really aggressive in terms of our coverage,” Nakase said. “More importantly, we moved the ball.”
Even in a difficult offensive performance, Reese continued to make her presence felt on the boards. Her ninth rebound moved her into fifth place on the Dream’s all-time postseason rebounding list.
Golden State Holds Off Late Rally
Atlanta’s comeback effort faced another setback when Gray was called for her fifth personal foul with 8:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Dream trailed 57-46 at that point and needed a sustained offensive run.
But Golden State repeatedly answered Atlanta’s attempts to build momentum.
Former Dream player Tiffany Hayes delivered several important baskets down the stretch, scoring seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.
“Her being able to come alive in that fourth quarter really filled the game for us,” Williams said of Hayes.
Atlanta made one final push.
Howard completed another three-point play with 28.7 seconds remaining, cutting Golden State’s lead to 66-62.
The Dream then fouled Veronica Burton, who made one of two free throws, leaving Atlanta trailing 67-62 with 27.3 seconds remaining.
Atlanta attempted two three-pointers on its final possession, but neither fell.
The missed shots ended the comeback and sent the series back to California tied at two games apiece.
Borlase Continues Impressive Rookie Postseason
While Atlanta’s offense struggled, Borlase provided another encouraging performance off the bench.
The rookie scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and recorded two steals.
Her postseason production has placed her first in Dream franchise history in rookie playoff points and second in rookie playoff steals.
Jordin Canada also scored 10 points and contributed four assists. Her performance pushed her career postseason scoring total to 300 points.
Naz Hillmon finished with six points and nine rebounds, reaching 100 career postseason points.
Gray, limited by foul trouble, finished with five points and five rebounds.
Championship Opportunity Still Within Reach
Saturday’s loss changed the direction of the series but did not end Atlanta’s championship hopes.
After losing the opening game in San Francisco, the Dream responded with consecutive victories, including a 79-65 win in Game 2 and a commanding 97-71 victory in Game 3.
Those performances demonstrated Atlanta’s ability to control games through defensive pressure, rebounding and balanced offensive production.
Game 4 offered a reminder of how quickly momentum can change in a championship series.
The Dream now face the challenge of winning again on Golden State’s home court.
For Atlanta, the priorities are clear: reduce turnovers, improve shot selection, avoid early foul trouble and establish offensive rhythm before falling behind.
Smesko believes his team will respond.
“We’ll all be motivated to come back and have the best game of the series,” he said.
With the championship series tied and at least two games remaining, Atlanta’s pursuit of its first WNBA title continues.
The Dream no longer have the series lead, but they still have an opportunity to bring a championship home to Atlanta.
Atlanta Dream vs Golden State Valkyries game 4 highlights – courtesy Atlanta Dream
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