The Valkyries Refused to Back Down When It Mattered Most

Kiah Stokes and Gabby Williams met with the media after Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, a 67- 62 win in Atlanta that evened the series at 2- 2. Both players said the biggest difference was physicality. Williams said the team stopped letting the officiating dictate the game, played through contact, and decided to woman up in the Finals, making it hard for Atlanta to get easy looks from one through five.

Stokes made history with the most blocks in a Finals series, but said she hangs her hat on defense. She talked about being the last line of defense behind guards applying pressure, and about the challenge of defending Atlanta’s star forward all series. Williams said the team’s message after Game 3 was that the road goal was one win, and that now the Valkyries go home to a best-of-three series.

Williams also opened up about her leadership, saying she did not like who she was in Game 3 and that stepping up as a leader pushed her to set the tone with an aggressive start. She said the Valkyries came out strong from the jump, took better care of the ball, and refused to let Atlanta punch first. The players credited the veterans with championship experience and praised Tiffany Hayes for her speed and energy in the fourth quarter. The Valkyries now return to Chase Center for Game 5 on Monday.

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Golden State Valkyries | WNBA | Press Conference | Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams | Atlanta Dream | 2026

00:00 — Physicality and Playing Through Contact
00:27 — Defending Atlanta’s Star and Making Blocks History
01:27 — Shaking Off Game 3 and the Road Goal
02:31 — Gabby Williams’ Leadership and Setting the Tone
04:42 — Veteran Champions and Tip Hayes’ Energy
06:13 — Coming Out Strong and Opening Shots