Overview
- Golden State beat Atlanta 64-55 in Game 5 on Monday as Kiah Stokes scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had three blocks to help the Valkyries take a 3-2 series lead.
- Stokes extended a streak of six straight playoff games with three or more blocks, tying Lisa Leslie’s WNBA postseason record and anchoring a defense that held the Dream to 29 percent shooting.
- Angel Reese was limited to seven points while still pulling down 15 rebounds, and Atlanta’s offense sputtered into a 55-point night that left the Dream facing elimination in Game 6.
- Game 6 will be played at State Farm Arena on Thursday as a 12:30 p.m. ET matinee so the Hawks can use the arena that evening, a compromise that boosts capacity but may shrink West Coast viewership and shorten any on-court celebration if the series ends.
- If Atlanta forces a Game 7, the deciding game would return to Golden State’s Chase Center, and both franchises remain in search of their first WNBA championship with the Valkyries closing in during their second season.