Gabby Williams scored 13 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter and didn’t miss a shot in the frame, leading the Valkyries to a 78-75 win over the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center on Friday. Williams went 4-for-4 from the field in the fourth quarter after scoring just three points over the previous three quarters. Kiah Stokes had her best game of the season, scoring a season-high 13 points and recording a season-best seven blocks. The Valkyries earned back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Dream to clinch the season series and are tied for fourth in the WNBA standings with a 12-7 record.

STOKES RECORDS MOST BLOCKS IN A GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
Kiah Stokes set the tone for the Valkyries on both ends of the court, beginning by blocking a layup attempt by Dream star forward Angel Reese and then draining a left-wing 3-pointer on the other end for the game’s first points. She then forced a turnover on Reese and drew a shooting foul on the other end, splitting a pair of free throws. Not only did Stokes score the first four points of the game, but she also swatted four shots away in the quarter, coming one block short of a career-high for a quarter. Stokes finished with a season-high 13 points and a season-high seven blocks, the most blocks in a game in franchise history.

VALKYRIES COMMIT SEASON-HIGH 12 TURNOVERS IN FIRST HALF 
Ball security, or lack thereof, plagued the Valkyries as they committed a season-high 12 turnovers in the first half. The Valkyries didn’t just give the ball away, the Dream took it, as they tallied nine steals in the half, eight of which were by the All-Star trio of Angel Reese (3), Ryhne Howard (3) and Allisha Gray (2). Atlanta won the points off turnovers differential by eight points in the first half and took a 3-point lead into halftime. The Valkyries cleaned up their turnovers in the second half, committing just six and the Dream nabbed five more steals. Reese had a game-high six steals while Veronica Burton paced Golden State with four.

CHEN AND HAYES IMPACTFUL OFF THE BENCH
With some of the typical high scorers for the Valkyries having off shooting nights, Kaitlyn Chen and Tiffany Hayes picked up the slack with highly impactful minutes off the bench. Chen scored 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting in 18 minutes and Hayes added 12 points and five assists in 22 minutes. Chen and Hayes combined to outscore the Dream’s bench by themselves, 25-12.

WILLIAMS TAKES GOLDEN STATE HOME IN FOURTH QUARTER
Gabby Williams closed the game for the Valkyries by making each of her four field goal attempts in the final 3:31 of the fourth quarter. First, Williams attacked a close-out and got all the way to the rim for a layup. Then, she used a crossover dribble to get back to her dominant right hand and finished a contested layup. With the score knotted at 69, Williams calmly rose up and sank a fadeway jumper to give the Valkyries the lead. On the ensuing defensive possession, Williams ripped the ball away for an on-ball steal and glided to the rim for a left-handed layup in transition. She made some pivotal free throws down the stretch that ultimately sealed the win.

UP NEXT
The Valkyries host the New York Liberty at Chase Center on Sunday in their final home game before a five-game road trip.

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