The Atlanta Dream stole a home game from the Golden State Valkyries to tie the 2026 WNBA Finals at one game apiece. It was an uncharacteristic game for Natalie Nakase's side, and she'll need her star players to step up in Game 3.
Golden State turned the ball over a season-high 18 times, and it shot 29.2% from the 3-point line. Obviously, that's not a winning formula, and it wasn't great for the Valkyries that not one of their players scored more than 15 points on the same night Angel Reese had a historic 30-point game.
The Valkyries looked disorganized on offense, and Gabby Williams wasn't able to provide the answers, with a 3-for-15 shooting night. The Dream deserve credit for cutting off driving lanes and forcing bad shots, but the Valkyries could have been more assertive.
"We had a lot of times where we were hesitant, or we weren't on the same page, and that's where it led to turnovers," Veronica Burton told reporters.
Williams and Tiffany Hayes led Golden State in scoring in Game 2 with 14 points. However, the Valkyries need Burton to step up offensively to get the series back in their favor.
Burton needs to be better in dictating the offense
It's been a tough WNBA Finals for Burton through two games. She only scored five points in Game 1, and she scored 11 points in Game 2.
Granted, her primarily responsbility is on defense and hold off Atlanta's guards. She's done that with six combined steals and blocks. It's why she got a vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
However, not every game is going to be a defensive tilt. You need to be able to find key baskets, and you need multiple options. That's what has made the Dream so dominant in the postseason, with their quartet of stars in Reese, Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada.
Williams has been magnificent this postseason, and Hayes has been relied upon off the bench. However, Burton needs to find ways to create her own shot and provide support.
Burton was a 35.5% 3-point shooter in the regular season and could benefit the Valkyries by increasing her volume. She was 0-for-2 from behind the arc in Game 1 and shot 2-for-4 in Game 2. They won't all go in, but embracing 3-point variance has been part of Golden State's identity throughout the season. The WNBA Finals is where you continue that.
Her contribution also doesn't need to be exclusively scoring. Burton averaged 5.7 assists in the regular season. However, that's gone down in the playoffs to 3.9. The Valkyries would benefit greatly from a more aggressive Burton who tries to get her own shot or set up teammates.
That could be the difference in going up 2-1 or going down 1-2.
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