It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win: The Valkyries took Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Dream on Saturday afternoon, successfully defending their home fort of Ballhalla. In the low-scoring 68–64 victory, Golden State relied on the clutch genes of Gabby Williams, who was the team’s only player to put up double-digit points. But the No. 2 seed also depended on something that’s carried it throughout the regular season and into the playoffs: A ruthless defense.
For an inkling of just how defensive-minded this series is going to be, Golden State and Atlanta combined to shoot just 32% (46-for-142) from the field, good for the second-worst field goal percentage in a game in WNBA Finals history.
