Valkyries take Game 4
Sports · Heat 2.0 / 10 · 3 shows · 29m airtime
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on October 23, 2026, tying the series at 2-2. Golden State held Atlanta to 62 points, the Dream's lowest total of the season, regular season or playoffs, and Angel Reese shot 2 of 12 with six turnovers. The discussion has moved to Natalie Nakase's adjustments: she started Kyla Charles and Tiffany Hayes, Charles finished plus-14, and the Stokes-Zandalicini-Williams-Charles-Burton lineup had played only eight minutes together before Game 4. Kia Stokes had a career-high 16 rebounds, eight on the offensive end. Game 5 is in the Bay.
How 3 podcasts covered it
- The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-22 (48:20 to 50:21)
Breaks down the Stokes spacing problem
Works through Nakase's rotation problem around Kia Stokes: the only Valkyrie who can guard Reese, but a player Atlanta ignores on offense. Argues no substitution fixes the spacing when the shooting isn't falling. Analysis and opinion, no new development. - The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-23 (42:25 to 44:25)
Recaps the Dream's Finals run
Plays a clip praising Angel Reese and recaps the Dream's Finals run and the move to State Farm Arena, noting Game 4 is this weekend in Atlanta. A short retelling that stays inside the series coverage. - The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-25 (3:10 to 6:45)
Frames the series as a boxing match
Reacts to Game 4 and frames the series as a boxing match: Atlanta dictated Games 2 and 3, and Golden State absorbed the blow and punched back. Adds that 62 points is Atlanta's lowest total of the season, regular season included.
New angle: Golden State held Atlanta to 62 points, the Dream's lowest total of the season, regular season or playoffs. - The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-25 (7:01 to 12:15)
Walks through Nakase's starting five change
Walks through Natalie Nakase's Game 4 lineup change: Kyla Charles and Tiffany Hayes into the starting five for Chechi Zandalicini and Kayla Thornton. Charles posts a plus-14 in the starting lineup and Hayes closes the game, a coaching adjustment the card's Game 4 record does not carry.
New angle: Nakase started Kyla Charles and Tiffany Hayes in Game 4; Charles was plus-14 in the starting lineup. - The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-25 (12:15 to 15:45)
Breaks down the small-ball lineup that vanished
Breaks down the second Game 4 adjustment: Zandalicini off the bench in a small, fast lineup with Stokes, Williams, Charles and Burton. That group held Atlanta to 0.4 points per possession and scored 1.6, but it never returned in the second half.
New angle: The Stokes-Zandalicini-Williams-Charles-Burton lineup had played only eight minutes together before Game 4. - The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-25 (16:04 to 20:07)
Argues Reese's finishing problems are mental
Breaks down Reese's Game 4 line and Nakase's defensive adjustments, arguing the finishing problems are psychological. Stays inside the Game 4 story already on the record, adding only her postgame remark that she felt rushed. - The Ringer WNBA Show, 2026-10-25 (20:34 to 24:03)
Credits Stokes with the Game 4 flip
Picks out Kia Stokes as the reason Game 4 flipped: a career-high 16 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and a defensive night on Angel Reese that the box score backs up. Adds the rebounding and turnover margins and a Chronicle profile of her defensive upbringing.
New angle: Kia Stokes had a career-high 16 rebounds in Game 4, eight of them on the offensive end. - Nightcap, 2026-10-25 (0:02 to 5:32)
Credits the Valkyries' adjustments in Game 4
Breaks down Golden State's 67-62 road win in Game 4, crediting the Valkyries' lineup adjustments and defensive pressure and Angel Reese's 2-of-12 night with six turnovers. Frames it as the Dream's chance to seize momentum with the series back in the Bay.
New angle: The Valkyries even the Finals at 2-2 with a 67-62 road win as Reese shoots 2 of 12 with six turnovers.