Veteran Energy: Stokes, Burton and the Valkyries Take a 3-2 Finals Lead Over the Dream
There’s a special kind of joy in watching a woman who’s been quietly holding it down for years get her flowers in real time. On Monday night at Chase Center, that woman was Kiah Stokes, and 18,064 fans in “Ballhalla” were chanting her name like she’d been the headliner all along.
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, taking a 3-2 series lead. A second-year expansion team is now one win from its first-ever championship. The Dream, also chasing a first title, head home with everything on the line.
A Defensive Masterclass (Yes, the Score Was That Low)
If you tuned in expecting a track meet, wrong game. The two teams combined for just 47 points in the first half, the lowest-scoring first half in WNBA Finals history. Golden State led 25-22 at the break, and almost nobody was hitting from deep.
But “ugly” basketball is still beautiful when you know what you’re watching. Golden State racked up nine blocks and nine steals, held Atlanta to 29% shooting, and turned Dream turnovers into 21 points. Atlanta’s 55 points were its lowest total of the season, and the Valkyries now have 37 blocks in this series, a WNBA Finals record.
Kiah Stokes Said: Respect the Vet
Stokes averaged around 3.6 points a game in the regular season. Her jumper was not the headline of anybody’s scouting report. Then she missed her only three of the first half… and went 3-of-3 from deep after halftime.
Her corner three early in the third made it 30-24. Another from 26 feet sparked a 14-6 Golden State run. Then, with 7:21 left, she buried a 24-footer for a 52-42 lead, the Valkyries’ first double-digit cushion. Atlanta never got closer than nine again.
She finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, eight rebounds and three blocks. That tied her season high in scoring, and her three made threes were a playoff career high. It was also her sixth straight playoff game with at least three blocks, tying Lisa Leslie’s 2003 mark for the longest streak in a single postseason. She now holds the record for most blocks in a single Finals series.
This is what experience looks like. Stokes already owns three championships, and she played like a woman who knows how this movie ends. Her message to the crowd afterward said it all: “We appreciate you. We got one more.”
Veronica Burton Came to Work
Let’s not sleep on the point guard. Burton scored 13 points with eight rebounds, three assists and four blocks, a playoff career high that tied Diana Taurasi’s 2009 record for most blocks by a guard in a Finals game. She also opened the second quarter by scoring Golden State’s first five points to grab an 18-14 lead.
Coach Natalie Nakase has called Burton one of the top point guards in the league. Nights like this make the argument for her.
The help came from everywhere. Tiffany Hayes added 12 (her fourth straight double-digit game), Cecilia Zandalasini dropped 12 off the bench with a game-best +9, and Gabby Williams fought through a 2-of-11 start to hit a clutch and-one in the fourth. Four Valkyries in double figures. That’s a team.
Before Y’all Start: Leave Angel Reese Alone
We already know how the timeline treats Angel Reese on a quiet scoring night. So let’s be clear about what actually happened.
Yes, Reese had seven points, a postseason low, and battled foul trouble, including three offensive fouls. But she also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, five on the offensive glass, and dished five assists. She has at least 60 rebounds this series, making her only the second player ever to reach that mark in a single Finals. The other one? Sylvia Fowles. That’s the company she keeps.
Meanwhile, Rhyne Howard was the best scorer on the floor with 20 points, hitting the shots that kept Atlanta within reach in the third. Jordin Canada added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Atlanta out-rebounded Golden State 44-33. This Dream team is not done fighting, and they’ve earned better than a meme cycle.
The Journey to the 2026 WNBA Finals
Zoom out for a second. Two franchises, both chasing a first-ever title, in front of packed arenas. The Valkyries have sold out all 52 games in franchise history, and Game 6 moved to State Farm Arena partly for bigger capacity.
This is what it looks like when the world finally shows up for women’s basketball. On both benches are women who put in years of work long before the sellouts and the thunder sticks. Watching them get this stage, this crowd and this moment is the win for all of us, no matter who lifts the trophy.
What’s Next
Game 6 tips off Thursday, October 29, at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, airing on USA Network, Peacock and CNBC. A Golden State win means a championship in just its second season. An Atlanta win forces Game 7 on Saturday, October 31, back at Chase Center.
As Stokes put it: “We need two hoops, 94 feet and each other and that’s all we need.” Honestly? Put that on a mug. Put it on a vision board. That’s a whole philosophy for life.
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