Dream have to figure out Valkyries’ physicality
SAN FRANCISCO - The Dream hung in there for as long as they could in their Game 5 loss to the Valkyries on Monday night at the Chase Center.
Now down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, the Dream don’t have much time left to put the pieces together in their bid to deliver the franchise its first WNBA Championship. But finding a way to best the Valkyries physically could give them a chance to extend the series.
The Dream found a way to do so in Games 2 and 3. They fed Angel Reese the ball in transition. They moved the ball to effectively get her mismatches and she patiently picked her spots.
But the Valkyries in Games 4 and 5 shifted things around in their lineups, as well as upped the physicality of their defense.
After Monday’s Game 5, Reese noted she’s still trying to figure out the fluctuations in how officials have called these last two games.
“Honestly, I think for me, like I’m still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality,” Reese said. “I mean, a lot of us are getting fouled, and they’re not calling it, or we’re talking to the ref after, and they’re saying, ‘Oh, we’ll get you next time.’
“So it is a little frustrating, especially in the moment of it. I’m kind of used to it because this is happening throughout the season. So I have to just continue to play through it.
“But honestly, for my teammates, when they’re getting slapped to the ground or goggles knocked off, it is frustrating and trying to keep them in and keep them confident. But yeah, we’ll figure it out. We’re gonna have to just continue to push through the physicality and hopefully it goes our way next game.”
Monday’s game had a number of moments where the Valkyries and Dream tried to match each other’s energy as they competed in the Finals.
With 6:37 to play in the third quarter, Dream guard Allisha Gray and Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes got tangled up as they fought through a screen. They ended up bumping heads and the officials called it an offensive foul on Gray.
Then they reviewed it to see if it needed to be upgraded to a flagrant-penalty foul one.
The call on the floor stood but Dream coach Karl Smesko opted to challenge it and lost.
Nineteen seconds later, Gray blocked Valkyries guard Veronica Burton. Then Burton blocked Gray with 5:06 to play in the quarter.
“It’s the Finals,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, who mentioned her players getting held before and after Game 3, said on Monday. “This is it. Both teams really want to, they want to win this. And you guys even said from the beginning of the Finals, this is two defensive-minded teams.
“So, what are two defensive-minded teams? They like physicality, so that’s part of it. You guys act like I’m shocked. I ain’t shocked about this. Like, you have an Atlanta Dream team that’s well coached that have dogs. I mean, same as us, and so yeah, it’s just part of it, you know.”
Smesko gave the Valkyries credit for their defensive adjustments. But he also noted some things simply cannot be missed.
“I give them credit for playing good defense,” he said. “They’re known for their defense, and they’ve been playing great defense throughout the series.
“But I mean, I do want to have Angel’s back here. The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous, just ridiculous. And we should have gone to the foul line six to eight more times just on that. And then to miss double dribbles and travels, multiple that always led to points, man. You can’t be at this level and make that many mistakes.
“So, there’s things that are on us. Like we’re missing shots we should make, but at the same time, that needs to be a whole lot better than it was. And it’s time that if you push somebody with two hands as they drive, it’s got to be a foul. And I’m kind of tired of some of the excuses that I’m hearing.”
The Dream return to State Farm Arena for Game 6 at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.