Valkyries beat Dream 67-62 to tie the WNBA Finals 2-2 as Atlanta turns it over 18 times
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday at State Farm Arena, tying the series 2-2. Golden State led by 16 late in the first half, and Atlanta got no closer than four.
The Dream had 18 turnovers, 14 of them before halftime. Golden State scored 16 points off those turnovers and Atlanta scored 8 off the Valkyries' 9. That 8-point gap was bigger than the final margin.
Built in the first half
Golden State led 16-11 after one quarter and 42-26 at the half. It made 17 of 40 shots before the break. Atlanta shot almost the same percentage, 8 of 19, but got 21 fewer shots up because of the turnovers and Golden State's 8 first-half offensive rebounds. Our first-half breakdown has the full numbers.
The lead hit 16 at 42-26 on a 24-foot three by Kayla Thornton, assisted by Cecilia Zandalasini, with 1:38 left in the second quarter.
Atlanta's comeback falls short
The Dream cut their turnovers to four after halftime and outscored Golden State 36-25, but Atlanta made just 10 of 35 shots in the second half. It won the third quarter 19-12 to trail 54-45 and the fourth 17-13.
Tiffany Hayes scored three straight Golden State baskets early in the fourth, and Veronica Burton answered an Isobel Borlase layup with a 24-foot step-back three at 4:23 for a 64-55 lead. Rhyne Howard made two free throws and Angel Reese scored on a driving layup at 1:36 to make it 64-59.
Burton's turnaround jumper with 34.6 seconds left made it 66-59. Howard answered with a layup and a free throw at 0:28.7 to make it 66-62, the closest Atlanta got in the second half. Burton made 1 of 2 free throws a second later, and the Dream did not score again.
The numbers that decided it
- Turnovers. Atlanta 18, Golden State 9 (team totals, including team turnovers).
- Shots. Golden State took 72 field goals to Atlanta's 54. Both teams made 4 threes.
- Free throws. Atlanta went 22 of 31 and Golden State 11 of 13, which kept the Dream in it.
- The glass. Kiah Stokes had 16 rebounds, 8 of them offensive, and 3 blocks. Golden State had 13 offensive rebounds to Atlanta's 12.
Gabby Williams led Golden State with 17 points on 7 of 21 shooting. Hayes and Burton scored 13 each, and Burton added 5 assists and 3 steals without a turnover. Zandalasini had 10 points off the bench and was +20, the best mark of the game.
Howard led Atlanta with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Reese had 8 points on 2 of 12 shooting, 9 rebounds and 6 turnovers. Borlase and Jordin Canada scored 10 each, and Naz Hillmon had 9 rebounds.
Watch every possession on the Game 4 play-by-play page, or check the official WNBA.com box score.
The series so far
The team with fewer turnovers has won all four games, and so has the team leading at halftime. Atlanta has won its two games by a combined 40 points. Golden State has won its two by a combined 9.
Game 4 drew 17,099 at State Farm Arena, a sellout. That brings the 2026 Finals to 70,326 fans through four games, according to the FCB Finals attendance tracker. The record is 92,599, set in 2024, so this series needs 22,273 more to tie it. Chase Center drew 18,064 for Game 1.
What's next
Game 5 is Monday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. PT at Chase Center in San Francisco (WNBA.com game page), on USA Network (simulcast on CNBC) and streaming on Peacock. The Finals are best of seven, so the winner will be one game from the title.
Full Court Buckets gathers and verifies its own game data against official WNBA box scores. Turnover totals include team turnovers.
TV: USA Network (simulcast on CNBC) ยท Stream: Peacock
Play-by-play: Full Court Buckets game page.
How this story was made: Full Court Buckets articles are written by Ryan Moalemi, sometimes with AI assistance, and every stat is checked against official WNBA box scores and the sources cited in the story. How we make Full Court Buckets
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