WNBA Finals: Can Howard & The Dream Rebound From Game One Mistakes?

After losing Game 1 of the WNBA Finals 68-64 in a matchup between two of the league’s top defensive teams, the Atlanta Dream have to find a way to steal at least one game in the best-of-seven series at the hostile Chase Center. To Golden State Valkyries fans, that’s better known as Ballhalla, the Valkyries’ loud and passionate home court.

Gabby Williams proved she’s one of the league’s most unappreciated players, pouring in 26 points for Golden State, handing the Dream its first loss in the postseason.

“Gabby is one of the best players in the world, hands down,” Valks head coach Natalie Nakase said of her star player. “She’s showing that when we need some buckets, she’s willing to get to her spots and take over. I think she’s showing it at the perfect time right now, and that’s what we need.”

Former No. 1 draft pick Rhyne Howard had no answer for Williams — or for her own struggles — scoring a disappointing 12 points and turning the ball over twice at critical moments in the fourth quarter.

ATL Barbie Angel Reese sparked the offense near the end of the first half but went mysteriously quiet in the second. She finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds but didn’t make a field goal after halftime. While Kiah Stokes deserves credit for her defense on Reese, many social media observers noticed that Reese got few touches in the second half.

The Dream’s top scorer, Allisha Gray, scored 19 points while coming off a hand injury, but she and Howard were accused of playing “hero ball” and settling for poor shots from the perimeter. Under the bright lights and after a weeklong layoff, both teams were mediocre from the field, with the Dream shooting just 32.8% and the Valkyries an even more paltry 32.1%.

“They forced us into a version of a game of basketball that we don’t play,” Howard told Atlanta News First after Game 1. “You know, we didn’t punch back. We just kinda played to how they were making us play, and you know, we are gonna have to watch some film and go back and make some adjustments. We play like we been playing in the regular postseason. We play like we’re No. 1 in those categories that matter. You know, we play our basketball; we don’t let them dictate how we want to play.”

Defense kept both teams in the game until the end, with the Valkyries making stops when it counted. Atlanta missed its final six shots, going just 2-for-19 in the fourth quarter. Golden State ended the game on a 7-0 run, with all seven points coming on Williams free throws.

“We were right there, right there, so that’s why it hurts a little bit, but it also motivates us,” second-year Dream head coach Karl Smesko said after the game. “We know what we’re capable of doing, so we’ll have one day to get ourselves as ready as possible, and then I think we’ll play even better.”

But Smesko drew criticism for not using his full roster while letting Reese, whose aggressiveness helped launch the Dream into its first Finals since 2013, languish in the second half.

In the postgame news conference, a visibly disappointed Reese told the media, “Maybe that was just on me. I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and to get to my spots. So definitely going to do a better job of that next game.”

Nakase knew Williams could spark the offense, but she also had the advantage of a deep bench that includes Sixth Player of the Year Janelle Salaün, who was used sparingly in Game 1. Smesko, however, didn’t play reserves Te-Hina Paopao or Madina Okot at all and used veteran DeWanna Bonner and Izzy Borlase sparingly. The Valkyries’ bench outscored the Dream’s 20-6.

One bright spot for the Dream defense: Williams was the only Golden State player to score in double figures.

“We’re gonna have to find our opportunities to get some players some rest (because) we know how physical the Valkyries are and how aggressive they are. How can we buy a minute here, a minute there so that we can be fresh down the stretch?” Smesko said.

For Game 2, Atlanta needs to use its reserves more efficiently and get more out of the players who dominated in the regular season — Howard, Gray and Reese. When Reese gets going, she keeps her squad competitive, and the Dream will need her motor. The Valkyries need to shoot better while maintaining the suffocating defense that made them the league’s top squad in that area.

Game 2 airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock from Chase Center before the series moves to State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday. Live From the Orange Carpet, a pregame special, airs at 6 p.m. ET tonight on USA Network, CNBC and Peacock.

Cheryl Miller, Maria Taylor and Sue Bird break down the Dream’s Game 1 mistakes below: