Valkyries vs. Dream: Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton Smother Atlanta in WNBA Finals Game 5 for a 3-2 Lead

The chant erupted with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter, right after the center who spends most nights erasing shots drained a 3-pointer: "Ki-ah! Ki-ah!" By the final buzzer, Chase Center had upgraded it to "MVP!"

Kiah Stokes scored 13 points, Veronica Burton matched her with 13 points and four blocks, and the Golden State Valkyries smothered the Atlanta Dream 64-55 on Monday night to take Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and is one win away from a championship in just its second season, on a night its leading scorer went 3 of 14.

A First Half Only a Defensive Coordinator Could Love

If you tuned in for buckets, my condolences. Atlanta led 14-13 after one quarter, and the Valkyries took a 25-22 lead into halftime. Per the Associated Press, that was the lowest-scoring combined first half in WNBA Finals history. The two teams went a combined 5 for 29 from 3-point range before the break, 3 of 16 for Golden State and 2 of 13 for Atlanta. It looked less like a Finals game and more like a chess match played in oven mitts.

The third quarter is where the Valkyries found a gear. Atlanta got as close as 34-31 when Rhyne Howard finished a three-point play at the 4:59 mark of the period, and that was the last real push from the Dream for a while. Stokes stepped out and buried a 3 with 2:46 left in the third, and Golden State won the quarter 21-18 to carry a 46-40 lead into the fourth.

The Valkyries Slam the Door

Gabby Williams, who started 2 for 11, finally got one to go with a three-point play at 9:08 that made it 49-42. Stokes followed with another 3 at 7:21, and the arena lost its mind.

Cecilia Zandalasini's turnaround jumper at 4:58 made it 56-44. Then Tiffany Hayes took over the closing stretch, scoring six straight Golden State points on a bucket at 3:50 and two trips to the line, and the lead hit its high-water mark at 62-46 with 1:46 left. Jordin Canada and Howard hit late 3s, and Canada added another with 16.1 seconds left, but it was decoration on a game that was decided long before.

The Center Who Stretched the Floor

Stokes went 3 of 4 from 3-point range in this game. That is not a typo. The two in the second half came while Atlanta was trying to get its fingers on the ledge, and each one pushed the Dream a little further from reach. When the center you can usually sag off is suddenly a threat from deep, the whole defensive math breaks.

"We're not here without Kiah," Burton said. "Every single day, every single game, from the beginning. Just her veteran experience as well. It's more than just defense."

Who Showed Up

Stokes finished 5 of 6 from the field with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Per the AP, that made six consecutive games with at least three blocks for Stokes, matching Lisa Leslie's 2003 run for the longest streak of its kind within one WNBA postseason.

"It feels pretty special," Stokes said. "I always know what I brought to a team, I always understood my value but just to hear an arena full of 18,000 fans it just really makes me feel appreciated and loved."

Burton's four blocks tied Diana Taurasi in 2009 for the most by a guard in a Finals game, according to the AP, and she added eight rebounds and three assists. Hayes scored 12 and went 4 of 4 at the line, and Zandalasini gave the Valkyries 12 off the bench on 5-of-10 shooting. Coach Natalie Nakase kept the same starting group that won Game 4, with Hayes and Kaila Charles in the first five, and it worked again.

Williams finished with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting, but she added six rebounds and three steals. Golden State won a Finals game in which its best player shot 21 percent. That is a scary sign for Atlanta.

For the Dream, Howard led with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Canada scored 12 but needed 16 shots, and Allisha Gray had 10 on 4 of 12. Angel Reese grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out five assists but scored just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, and she was whistled for three offensive fouls.

"I still believe in our team, I still believe we can win this," Reese said.

The Ugly, Beautiful Numbers

• 17 turnovers, 21 points: Atlanta's giveaways fed Golden State's offense. The Dream scored six off the Valkyries' nine.
• 19 of 65: Atlanta's shooting from the field, a frosty 29 percent.
• 9 to 3: Golden State's edge in blocks, with Burton and Stokes combining for seven.
• 44 to 33: Atlanta actually won the rebounding battle, including 12 offensive boards. It did not matter.
• 12: Zandalasini's bench points, matching Hayes and one shy of Stokes and Burton.

One Win Away

Golden State leads 3-2 after winning back-to-back games since falling behind 2-1 in the series. The Valkyries can clinch their first title in Game 6 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Thursday, with a 12:30 p.m. EDT tip, and a Game 7 if necessary would come back to Chase Center on Saturday.

Atlanta, which had swept its way to the Finals, now faces elimination for the first time this postseason. Dream coach Karl Smesko kept it simple: "Nothing's changed, we win two games we're champions."

He also had thoughts on that Thursday afternoon start time. "I'd like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do," Smesko said.

A Love Letter to Defense

Every great defensive team eventually gets a night where the offense is a rumor and the defense wins anyway. This was that night for Golden State, a game that would make a 1990s Knicks fan weep with joy. Stokes, Burton and the rest of the Valkyries dragged the Finals into the mud, and then, out of nowhere, their center started hitting 3s.

"We appreciate you," Stokes told the crowd afterward. "We got one more."

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes and historical notes as reported by the Associated Press via WNBA.com.