At the start of the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream were in a good spot. On the road against the Golden State Valkyries, they were up by five points.
In that final frame, however, Atlanta’s offense fell apart, and they lost 68-64.
They couldn’t throw a pea in the ocean, shooting a dismal 2-for-19 from the field and missing all seven 3-pointers. After the loss, Dream head coach Karl Smesko spoke about the lack of scoring:
Some of them were good. Some of them they had
us well defended and we were getting late on the clock. We had a couple of what I would call good looks, just didn’t go down for us.
The Dream offense died due to what the Valkyries did, and what the Dream themselves failed to do. As discussed before the series, both teams have elite defenses. Whoever can score easier on the other would win, and that bore out.
Atlanta shot 16 percent from deep in Game 1, and their inability to make any from 3s in the fourth sealed their fate.
The Valkyries, meanwhile, were as fierce as ever. Whenever it seemed Atlanta had room to shoot, they’d close the gap. This resulted in either a contested shot in defiance or Dream players putting the ball on the floor and heading to the paint. Which, in turn, became its own exercise in futility.
Four Dream players took outside shots in the fourth, and none found success. Their final possession perfectly summed up their shooting woes.
Golden State defended every screen to perfection as multiple Dream players dribbled out the clock. In the end, Allisha Gray attempted a game-winning 3 that touched nothing but air.
The defeat is a disappointing one for the Dream. They led for stretches in every quarter, and stealing a game on the road in the WNBA Finals would’ve been huge. To be so close and collapse near the end could be series-defining.
But right now, Smesko is looking at this as one game, nearly won, not a result they let slip away. The coach asserted:
We were right there. Right there. So, that’s why it hurts a little bit. But it also motivates us.
Smesko is right. Plenty of Dream players can adjust and improve.
Angel Reese had 14 points and 12 rebounds, but all of her production came in the first half. She had zero points in the third and fourth quarters. She might be the Defensive Player of the Year, but the team needs her offense to win this series. Angel recognized this after Game 1, saying:
I don’t think they really did anything. Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and get to my spots. So, definitely going to do a better job of that next game.
Rhyne Howard had three turnovers, including two costly ones in the fourth. Gray is coming back from injury, and a day of rest and another game could make her even sharper.
The Dream played well enough defensively to win. If they had even an average fourth-quarter offense, they likely would have won.
A playoff series is all about adjustments. The Valkyries earned the win, and now the Dream must respond. The adjustments are clear. Reese needs to be more aggressive on offense. Howard has to be a better decision maker. And Gray needs to focus on her health and matching everyone’s intensity.
If they accomplish all that, they’ll win Game 2 on Monday and head home with an even series. All of the sudden, the pressure will swing the other way, and the Dream will be in the driver’s seat again.
