The Golden State Valkyries won Game 1 of the finals by just four points, edging out the Atlanta Dream with their defense and late-game execution. The Dream won the next game by a much bigger margin, securing a 14-point win behind a huge 30-point double-double from Angel Reese.
So, the Dream can now go back to Atlanta with all the momentum needed to protect home court. What’s even scarier for the Valkyries is that the Dream haven’t even gotten a good offensive game out of Rhyne Howard yet.
Howard scored 12 points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field in Game 1 and just five points on 2-of-7 in Game 2. So far, Howard is 3-for-14 from deep in the finals. Howard has never been the most efficient scorer, shooting just 38.1% from the field for her five-year career, but she still averaged almost 18 points per game in the regular season and recorded two 20-point games in the first two series.
Between Gabby Williams and Kalia Charles, the Valkyries can defend Howard better than most teams in the W. Still, Howard can play much better offensively, and if she does, the Valkyries could be in trouble.
Rhyne Howard affected both games in other ways
Howard is a deadly 3-point shooter and talented scorer. She scored 43 points in 2023 and made nine 3-pointers in a game twice. That’s why she’s an All-Star and a franchise player.
But Howard can also impact games when her shot isn’t falling, and that’s exactly what she has been doing in the finals so far. She grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in Game 1. She also recorded one steal and two blocks. In Game 2, she recorded a record-setting six steals along with one block.
Even when she isn’t scoring at a high level, defenses have to respect Howard because she could catch fire at a moment’s notice, and Atlanta needs her to pressure Gabby Williams on the other end of the floor.
Still, if the Dream want to win this championship, they will need a big scoring game from Howard sooner or later. Angel Reese is certainly going to keep the energy high and come out with the competitive fire that makes her the winner she is, but the Dream cannot expect her to score 30 points on 62% shooting against Kiah Stokes every game. Moreover, Allisha Gray is still dealing with a finger injury she suffered in Game 1 of the semifinals against the New York Liberty.
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