What We Know About the Valkyries' Game 4 Road Win in Atlanta

ATLANTA — The Golden State Valkyries built a 16-point lead before halftime, then held off a late Atlanta push to win Game 4 of the WNBA Finals 67-62 on Saturday, evening the series at 2-2, according to ESPN.

The win sends the series back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Center, per ESPN, which covered the game courtside. For Atlanta, it was the largest deficit the Dream had faced all postseason — a cushion Golden State built by forcing turnovers, dominating the offensive glass and mixing in zone defense that disrupted Atlanta's rhythm.

What changed in Golden State's lineup?

Valkyries coaches started Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes in place of Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini, according to ESPN. Charles finished with a plus-14 plus/minus, and Hayes scored 13 points. Zandalasini, moved to the bench, still posted a plus-20 plus/minus in her minutes, per ESPN's postgame breakdown.

How did Golden State build its lead?

The shift showed up fastest in turnovers and shot volume. Atlanta committed 14 turnovers in the first half alone, which Golden State converted into 16 points, ESPN reported. By halftime, the Valkyries had attempted 40 field goals to Atlanta's 19 — a gap ESPN's game coverage called close to "a guaranteed loss if you are Atlanta."

Game 4 by the numbers

• Golden State led by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Dream's largest deficit of the postseason, per ESPN.
• Atlanta shot 33% from the field and 4-for-23 from three-point range, while attempting 18 fewer shots than Golden State, according to ESPN.

Why did Angel Reese struggle?

Atlanta forward Angel Reese finished 2-for-12 from the field for eight points, with nine rebounds, four fouls and six turnovers, ESPN reported. Golden State's defensive adjustments — including the zone looks and the rebounding push from the new-look starting five — limited Reese's usual interior impact for most of the night.

Did Atlanta make a comeback push?

Atlanta outscored Golden State by 11 in the second half, according to ESPN, narrowing what had been a much larger margin. But the Dream could not fully close the gap created in the first two quarters, and the shooting numbers — 33% overall, 4-for-23 from three — left too much ground to make up even with the second-half surge.

What happens next in the series?

The series shifts to Chase Center in San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday night, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. ET, per ESPN's coverage. At 2-2, home-court advantage now returns to Golden State for the pivotal game, after Atlanta had won the previous two contests before Saturday's result.

For the full game breakdown and highlights, see ESPN's Game 4 coverage.

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