Valkyries bash ‘unacceptable’ start in WNBA Finals Game 6 loss to Dream

Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesValkyries bash ‘unacceptable’ start in WNBA Finals Game 6 loss to Dream appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.ATLANTA – Call it nerves, call it fatigue, call it championship anxiety, call it all of the above. Whatever was going on with the Golden State Valkyries in the first quarter of their 80-69 loss to the Atlanta Dream in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, something wasn’t right.Their offense, which had had the juice and the fight the last two games to overcome the inefficient nature of how it functions, came out far too careful and tepid as the Dream blew up every on-ball screen they tried to set. Their defense, which has been the driving force of their magical run to the Finals, got torched. Atlanta rained down bucket after bucket as they shot 11-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the opening period, justifying the thunderous home crowd’s decision to call out sick from work to watch their team shine.Didn’t matter that they eventually amped up their ball pressure and started forcing the Dream into some lazy passes. Didn’t matter that they decided to get back to attacking the rim with reckless abandon in the second half, with their trips to the free-throw line helping them cut the deficit down to eight with 1:15 left in the game. Because by the time the Valkyries found the gear that makes them the Valkyries, it was too late.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Golden State, knowing they squandered an opportunity to close out the Dream, got to experience the painful lesson that is not matching the energy of a desperate team fighting for the championship lives.“They scored 32 points in the first quarter. That’s unacceptable on our end,” Veronica Burton said after the loss, with the series now set up for do-or-die Game 7 back in San Francisco for all the marbles. “Got to play better defense. Obviously, they’re hitting good shots and getting good looks. I think we were sped up a little bit, but we cleaned it up in the other quarters defensively. But can’t let that happen right out the gate. You need a sense of urgency. This is the WNBA Finals.”Where was Golden State’s urgency?Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesUrgency is a word the Valkyries use often. Whether they’re speaking to what they did well to pounce on teams in critical junctures or they’re describing what went awry in losses that seem uncharacteristic to their brand of basketball. So Golden State is no stranger to playing with urgency. But the question remains: Why did they have no urgency? If the Valkyries had an answer to that question, they didn’t care to specify, as head coach Natalie Nakase expressed frustration with the fact that they didn’t come out correctly from the jump.“Just frustrated me really,” Nakase said when asked if she was surprised her team came out flat. Just unacceptable in our poor start. So just more frustration.”A few moments later, another reporter asked Nakase why they weren’t able to execute on their urgency, to which she said she didn’t have the answer to those questions yet.“I’m just trying to explain to you that we’re all right now not happy with how it started,” Nakase continued. “And so I want to go back, give them their time right now to get their bodies right, get their mental right, get their nutrition right (and) let them just sit in it. And then when I get on the plane, I’ll start having these conversations. So I don’t have the answers for you guys right now, in a second. But for me, I need clarity. I need some information.”Gabby Williams also expressed displeasure with Golden State’s showing as she fielded questions with short answers. Williams finished with a game-high 26 points but on a volume 8-of-22 shooting. But when asked what the key will be to getting off to a better start in Game 7, Williams pointed to their defense. The Valkyries let Allisha Gray get loose for 23 points on a bum hand and Rhyne Howard for 21 points. Not to mention Angel Reese’s strong performance, as the star forward added in 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.“Ball pressure, especially,” Williams said. “You set the tone with the physicality. I think when you punch first, when you are aggressive at the beginning and you try to be later, well, that’s when fouls start getting called. That’s when you’re out of position. So I think (the Dream) did a good job today of setting the tone early. Obviously, we didn’t. So, something to learn from, and what’s great is we have another chance.”Rallying the troops heading into Game 7Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesFor as disappointed and angry the Valkyries were with themselves after Game 6, their competitive fire is still burning bright as the series flips back to Ballhalla. Nakase and Burton showered praise on Laeticia Amihere for her efforts off the bench, hounding Reese in the second half.And for all the frustration regarding their start, the Valkyries did many things well in the second half. The recipe for a Game 7 victory is laced in how they finished the game. The defense has to be in absolute “empty the tank” mode from the second the ball is tipped. And their offense needs to attack the rim with reckless abandon. But not so reckless that they miss their layups, as Golden State left far too many points on the table watching the ball roll around the edge of the rim.Golden State’s been here before. When it is at its lowest, it rises. And the Valkyries will do it again. They have to. It’s Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. A title is on the line. And it seems like they’re already in the process of rebounding emotionally and mentally for the game of their lives.“I’ve been sitting here, and I think my body language is bad, (but) at the end of the day, we feel good,” Burton said. Williams, seated next to her, looked up from her funk and turned to listen to the heart and soul of the Valkyries demonstrate why she is their evergreen guiding voice.“Yes, we lost. It was a bad game for us. We had a terrible first quarter, yeah, but we cleaned it up. We found a way; we didn’t quit. Games 2 and 3 were ugly – we quit; we looked bad. We didn’t quit on this one. We were still in the game, and yeah, we didn’t give ourselves a good position to start out the game, but we feel good. And there’s a lot to take away from the second, third, and fourth quarter – our defense was a little bit more like us. And so we’ll watch that, see the adjustments that they made, see where we can adjust, and I think we’re in a good spot.”Related: This WNBA Finals stat is good omen for Valkyries in Game 7 against DreamRelated: Natalie Nakase hints at Tiffany Hayes’ Game 7 status after injury scare