With her teammates huddled around her, Gabby Williams leaned in, gesturing emphatically after the Golden State Valkyries lost for the second straight game, falling behind the Atlanta Dream 2-1 in the WNBA Finals. Now the Valkyries must rally in the best-of-seven series, which continues Saturday (1 p.m. ET) in Game 4 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
If they can, they will be channeling a large amount of UConn Huskies influence. Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kaitlyn Chen all won national championships at UConn, the program that has won the most NCAA titles (12) and sent the most players (54) to the WNBA. "Every kid that spent that time here has certain qualities that make you win championships," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said earlier this month.
Under coach Natalie Nakase, the expansion Valkyries have developed an elite defensive commitment similar to what Auriemma's teams always have. That style won Game 1 of the Finals 68-64, but the Dream cracked the code in Games 2 and 3, flipping the Valkyries' combined 36 turnovers into 46 points to win 79-65 and 97-71. Cutting down on turnovers is the first job, but reclaiming their swag matters too.
Hayes, the oldest of the "West Coast Huskies" at 37, is seeking her first WNBA title, and the Valkyries must beat the franchise where she spent most of her pro career. Her UConn days may be far in the rearview mirror, but she says the program's influence has stayed with her. "It starts with the type of players they recruit there," Hayes said.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing