The Atlanta Dream host the Golden State Valkyries in a must-win Game 6 Thursday. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can clinch the franchise's first WNBA championship in just its second season. Atlanta, who lost back-to-back games after taking a 2-1 lead, extends its season or watches the Valkyries celebrate on their floor. If Atlanta wins, the series shifts back to Chase Center and Ballhalla for a decisive Game 7 on Saturday. ESPN analyzes the keys to Thursday's contest.
Three keys for the Dream in Game 6: Avoid turnovers has been a struggle, particularly in the past two losses. In Game 4, the Dream had 18 turnovers leading to 16 points for Golden State. In Game 5, 17 Atlanta turnovers led to 21 points. In such low-scoring games, the Dream cannot afford to allow the Valkyries to score easily off mistakes. Hitting open shots remains an issue; Atlanta shot 33% from the floor and 16% from 3-point range in Game 1, with similar struggles in Games 4 and 5. Guard Allisha Gray's postseason shooting has dropped since her regular season, impacted by a shooting hand injury suffered in the semifinals. Jordin Canada could be a huge factor after impacting winning in the first two playoff rounds. Getting off to a fast start is crucial; Atlanta wants to feed off its crowd energy like in Game 3, a 97-71 win where the Dream looked most themselves offensively. Early shots going in boost confidence against Golden State's defense.
Three keys for the Valkyries in Game 6: Continue strong pick-and-roll defense has been a hallmark. Getting off to a fast start forces Atlanta to play catch-up. Forcing turnovers and capitalizing on mistakes will be vital to closing out the series at home.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing