With Knee Injury, Gabby Williams Leads Valkyries Past Angel Reese, Dream in WNBA Finals Opener
Gabby Williams scored 26 points as the Golden State Valkyries defeated Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday, October 17, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Golden State overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a 1-0 lead in the championship series.
Reese finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but Atlanta’s offense collapsed in the closing minutes.
Williams missed all four of her first-quarter shots before erupting for 16 points in the second period, helping Golden State erase an eight-point deficit and take a 42-39 halftime lead.
Atlanta regained control in the third quarter, entering the final period ahead 56-51.
But just when you thought Atlanta was going to finish it, Golden State’s defense took over, limiting the Dream to eight fourth-quarter points. Williams made two free throws with 1:18 remaining to put the Valkyries ahead 65-64.
She added two more with 4.1 seconds left to help secure the victory.
“We always knew we were going to find a way somehow,” Williams said, according to the WNBA’s official recap.
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