Bread and Butter Defense in the WNBA Finals — the Valkyries Are Built Exactly for This

The Golden State Valkyries Win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals and Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes walk into the postgame presser with the same message this team has delivered all season: when they need stops they get stops. Even when the Valkyries were down Gabby said they had the game exactly where they wanted it. A few minutes left. Shots not falling. All coming down to defense. That is what this team has been built for. That is why they harp on defensive habits so relentlessly. For these moments.

Kiah held Angel Reese without a basket in the second half. Limit her touches, box out relentlessly, and make everything as difficult as possible. Reese got going in the first half. She did not get going in the second. Kiah got an offensive rebound after Gabby missed a layup, got the lid off the basket, and the Valkyries got going from there. When shots are not falling those are the plays that win Finals games.

Gabby went 6 for 6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Her mindset at the line is the same every single time: take a deep breath, you are gonna make it, shoot the free throw.The composure came from doing math. Gabby counts possessions, counts points, reads the clock, and breaks everything down possession by possession. Her trainer called it out in the fourth quarter. Gabby confirmed it with a smile. That is how she stays locked in when everything is on the line. And Kiah Stokes is probably the best screener in the league. Gabby Williams finally said it out loud. It is not talked about enough. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is a good time to start.

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Golden State Valkyries | WNBA | Finals Game 1 Presser | Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes | Atlanta Dream | WNBA Finals | 2025

00:00 — Even When Down We Had It Right Where We Wanted: Defense Is the Bread and Butter
00:13 — Kiah Stokes: Holding Angel Reese Scoreless in the Second Half
00:32 — Gabby on the Fourth Quarter: Spacing Freedom and the Belief That Carries Her
01:25 — In French: Leading the Team and the Lessons for Game 2
02:33 — The 7-0 Run: What Flipped the Momentum in the Third Quarter
02:53 — Kiah Got the O Board Kai Made the Stop — Game Winning Plays That Do Not Show Up in the Score
03:14 — Gabby Goes 6 for 6: Take a Deep Breath You Are Gonna Make It
03:52 — Doing Math in the Fourth Quarter: Counting Possessions to Stay Composed
04:28 — Ball Screen Angles in the Second Quarter: Kiah Is Probably the Best Screener in the League