As Edwin Garcia wrote following Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, Game 4 is a must-win for the Golden State Valkyries.
With a Game 4 win, the Atlanta Dream would take a 3-1 lead that, at least based on the NBA’s history of seven-game series, has been almost unsurmountable. Although some NBA teams have recovered from 3-1 deficits to prevail in seven games, no team wants to face such long odds—even the history-making Valkyries
Already improbably in the Finals in just their second season as a franchise,
Golden State, certainly, has proven that they’re capable of achieving what’s never, or rarely, been done.
Or, they could just win Game 4, tying the series 2-2 and tilting it back in their favor as the action would shift back to San Francisco for Game 5.
So, what needs to happen for the now-reeling Valkyries to restore their chance of becoming champions? Here are four key questions about Golden State’s player usage that could determine their Game 4 prospects.
Who should be in and who should be out of head coach Natalie Nakase’s core rotation? Should she aim to reassert Golden State’s defensive prowess? Or, is it time to try to juice the offense? If it’s the latter, who should she turn to?
In the comments, share your opinions, in addition to identifying other players Golden State needs more, or less, from in Game 4.
Does Golden State need more or less Tiffany Hayes?
During the 2026 regular season, Tiffany Hayes came off the bench in all but four games, scoring an average of nine points in 17 minutes per game. Those points came on an average of 6.5 field goal attempts, as she shot 46 percent overall and 28.3 percent from 3.
In three Finals games, Hayes has played at least 24 minutes per game, taking no fewer than 12 shots. After just three points in Game 1, she put up matching 14-point outings in Games 2 and 3. The Valkyries, however, have yet to outscore the Dream in her minutes. Her plus-minus in Game 1 was even. In Game 2, her -18 scoring differential was the second-worst mark on the team. In Game 3, her -17 mark was also the second-poorest.
In short, there’s been a lot more Hayes than was typical for Golden State, and despite some loud plays, she hasn’t been a positive.
Yet, against one of her former teams, Hayes has been fearless. In Game 3, too many Valkyries appeared hesitant to assert themselves offensively, especially in the first half. Hayes, at least, was willing to go down swinging, using her still lightning-quick first step to break the paint and get to the basket. And despite a 2-for-12 mark, she’s not shied away from firing off 3s.
Nevertheless, it is worth wondering, after she played more limited minutes and occupied a less prominent offensive role during the regular season, if Hayes’ extra offensive activity is throwing off her teammates’ expected rhythms?
Too much Tip? Not enough Tip? It’s a conundrum, one that Nakase, reputed for her rotational prescience, needs to solve.
Does Golden State need more or less Kiah Stokes?
Las Vegas Aces fans likely recognize the Kiah Stokes that played in Games 2 and 3.
Over the course of her three title-winning tenure with the Aces, Stokes increasingly became a postseason liability due to her offensive limitations. After averaging around 26 minutes per game as the Aces went back-to-back in 2022 and 2023, she saw the court for less than two minutes per game during the 2025 title run.
In her first season with Golden State, it appeared that Stokes hadn’t just been rejuvenated, but reached another level. Her defensive impact was more resounding; her offensive impact, or lack thereof, was less detrimental. In fact, she apexed in the first two rounds of the playoffs, not only silencing Most Improved Player Jessica Shepard in the first round but also causing real trouble for A’ja Wilson in the semifinals. Game 1 of the Finals saw more of this version of Stokes, as she was crucial to containing Angel Reese.
Things have changed, as an unleashed Reese doesn’t care if Stokes rejects her a time or two; Angel is going to keep going at her.
With Angel’s aggression nullifying some of Stokes’ defensive value, her lack of offense, in turn, has become more problematic. After scoring nine points in Game 1, she was scoreless in Game 2 and had just two points in Game 3.
Is it time for Nakase, like Becky Hammon before her, to consider minimizing Stokes in order to make things easier for the Golden State offense?
For all the focus on the Valkyries’ depth, Nakase doesn’t necessarily have a great alternative. Going small with Kayla Thornton could be interesting, except Thornton has not been able to do much of anything against Atlanta. Although more aggressive than Stokes, Laeticia Amihere also doesn’t offer much offensively. Aminata Gueye made the mistake of provoking Reese, and seems certain to experience evermore severe repercussions every time she takes the floor.
So, is Nakase stuck with Stokes, believing in her defensive value and praying that she can provide just enough offense?
Does Golden State need more or less Janelle Salaün?
Nakase finally trusted Janelle Salaün, the unanimous Sixth Player of the Year, for more than spot minutes in Game 3.
Salaün seemed to show her worth, going 3-for-4 from 3 and 5-for-7 overall as she scored 13 points in 12 minutes.
That Salaün saw just 12 minutes, despite her hot shooting, however, suggest that Nakase, still, can’t stomach Salaün’s defensive shortcomings. Salaün is Stokes’ opposite, except, for the defense-obsessed Nakase, what Salaün can add on offense is unable to compensate for what she subtracts on defense.
While she has good size at 6-foot-2, Salaün’s foot speed and lateral movement are subpar; she also does not have the level of functional strength expected of a player with her physical profile, as evidenced when she was beasted by Naz Hillmon in Game 3.
Furthermore, Atlanta was unmoved by Salaün’s 3-point outburst in Game 3. The Dream did not bend their defensive principles to accommodate Salaün’s shooting, thus diminishing the floor-spacing value her shooting is supposed to provide.
Overall, Golden State shot 40 percent from 3 in Game 3, with Cecilia Zandalisini also contributing four 3-pointers, and yet they still were blown out. That’s discouraging, and probably hints that Nakase will opt for defense over offense when making lineup decisions in Game 4.
Does Golden State need more of less Gabby Williams?
After the Valkyries topped the Aces in Game 1 of the semifinals, Golden State owner Joe Lacob lavished praise on Gabby Williams, proclaiming her “the best player in the world.”
Unfortunately for Williams, who didn’t ask for the designation, the man whose “light years ahead” statement became a meme when his NBA Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals may also have invited infamy on Williams.
Williams is a great player whose offensive improvement has been astounding. In her early days in the WNBA, she was trending towards the Stokes zone, where she was a great defender with severe offensive shortcomings. She’s now far away from that territory, establishing herself as a credible scorer and shooter who can function as a first option.
But, this Finals series has shown her limitations as a top-tier 1A offensive star. Her offensive game, in particular, remains dependent on her midrange jumper. When it’s falling, she can, as Lacob declared, look like one of the best in the world. When it’s not, such inefficient isolation stylings can leave an offense stuck in a slog.
That’s what’s happened in Games 2 and 3.
Yet, do the Valkyries have another alternative? Should Gabby just empty the clip, embracing a high-volume offensive responsibility regardless of her efficiency?
Or, can Golden State leverage her offensive value in other ways? In Game 3, she had eight assists, her most of the playoffs and the entire 2026 season. Is Gabby the creator, not Gabby the scorer, the means towards a better offensive output for Golden State? Those assists, however, were balanced by her playoff-high four turnovers.
Again, after suffering two-straight losses, there seems to be no good solution for Golden State. As the Valkyries best moments have come when Williams has ascended into a superstar scorer, encouraging her to access that upside—something Edwin also emphasized—probably is the best path.
