This Halloween, Game 7 of the WNBA Finals will be between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries. Not only is this final game on a holiday this Saturday, but it is also the first-ever Game 7 in WNBA history and will result in the first franchise championship for either team.
Taking place in the Valkyries’ arena of the Chase Center (or, as it’s now known, Ballhalla), the air is bound to be electric, and the arena will be completely in favor of The #2 Seed Valkyries as they look to bring the championship celebration to the city, but there are several aspects that will determine who is crowned champion this Saturday.
- The Valkyries can not start game 7 as slow as they did in game 6. The Valkyries went to the second half trailing the Dream by 25 points and had to fight the entire game to close the lead. A start like that again versus an offensive powerhouse like the Atlanta Dream will be another hard battle to come back from.
- Pace and turnovers are the next biggest factor in who wins this next game. With the series being rather low scoring, each possession matters so much more, and just one turnover can end up being what seals the game, as well as the pace being played. Whoever controls the pace controls the game and is more likely to win if they can dictate how the game is played on both ends.
- The 5 biggest X-factors going into Game 7: Allisha Gray, Angel Reese, Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes, and Rhyne Howard.
Allisha Gray’s scoring in this series has been great at some moments and definitely bad at others. Game 6 was a major bounce-back for her, and the game level of scoring will definitely be needed for the Dream in Game 7.
Angel Reese’s efficiency on the offensive side of the ball has been completely shrouded by the Valkyries elite defense all series long, and while the rebounding and defense are still at an elite level, she can’t afford to have another bad shooting night, especially going into a win-or-go-home game.
Kiah Stokes, aka The Warden of Valcatraz, has been a nightmare matchup for not just Angel Reese but the entire Atlanta Dream offense. The 3 time champion has looked like a potential finals MVP candidate this series, but after barely playing in game 6, she has to have another stellar performance to close this series out.
Rhyne Howard, through the first six games of this series, has looked like the for-sure best player on the court at all times. Offensively, she has picked up a lot of the pressure and has elevated pass it while scoring double digits in 5 out of 6 games so far while being a defensive threat all series long.
Gabby Williams has had a historically dominant season from start to finish, being the leader of the Valkyries on defense and offense, but through the entire WNBA playoffs has struggled to get the shot to fall at an efficient level, although still averaging 20.3 points throughout the entire playoffs. Having a decently efficient game can definitely be a game changer for the Valkyries in Game 7.
