By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO — Kiah Stokes kept swatting shots on the interior, while Veronica Burton disrupted the Dream with her own quick hands to alter shots.
And that crazed, violet-clad “Ballhalla” home crowd roared at every chance – watching the Golden State Valkyries move one win away from a championship in their second season with a 64-55 victory against Atlanta in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night.
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Stokes had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots, and Burton contributed a nearly identical stat line with 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as Golden State got defensive once more to shut down Angel Reese and the Dream.
The Valkyries have leaned on Stokes’ steady presence and postseason experience during this remarkable run.
“We’re not here without Kiah,” Burton said. “Every single day, every single game, from the beginning. Just her veteran experience as well. It’s more than just defense.”
Angel Reese finished with seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists – a big difference from her two standout performances in the first two games of the series at Chase Center. Reese shook her head when whistled for the second of her three offensive fouls with 7:43 to play.
“I still believe in our team, I still believe we can win this,” Reese said.
Fans screamed and clapped thunder sticks following the final buzzer as Stokes spoke from the floor to chants of “M-V-P!”
“We appreciate you,” a smiling Stokes said. “We got one more.”
On a night when leading scorer Gabby Williams struggled to find her shooting touch, Golden State found that “strength in numbers” mantra coach Natalie Nakase has praised all season long and everybody made an impact. Veronica Burton had 13 points, eight rebounds and her postseason-best four blocks – tying Diana Taurasi in 2009 for most by a guard in a Finals game.
On Saturday, Nakase had changed up her lineup for a 67-62 Game 4 win by inserting Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting five. She stayed with those two Monday night, and it worked again. Hayes, who played 10 seasons for Atlanta and came out of retirement two years ago, had 12 points – and Nakase (a former UCLA and Marina High player) has said she wants to win it all for the veteran guard.
Williams began 2 for 11 and missed all four of her three 3-point tries, but she converted a three-point play with 9:08 remaining put the Valkyries ahead 49-42 and finished with nine points on 3-for-14 shooting and six rebounds.
Atlanta will now try to stave off elimination at home in a matinee Game 6 on Thursday (9:30 a.m. PT) and force a deciding Game 7 back here at Chase Center on Saturday. The Dream hurt themselves with 17 turnovers that led to 21 points for Golden State.
“Nothing’s changed, we win two games we’re champions,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said.
Stokes hit a key 3-pointer with 2:46 to go in the third quarter and another with 7:21 left in the game, which ignited chants of “Ki-ah! Ki-ah!” from the rocking, rally-towel waving sellout crowd at Chase Center.
“It feels pretty special,” she said. “I always know what I brought to a team, I always understood my value but just to hear an arena full of 18,000 fans it just really makes me feel appreciated and loved.”
Stokes has recorded three or more blocks in six straight games, tying her with Lisa Leslie in 2003 for the longest such streak in a single WNBA postseason.
The Valkyries used a dominant second half after they led 25-22 at the break, the lowest scoring first half combined score in WNBA Finals history.
Rhyne Howard’s three-point play with 4:59 left in the third pulled Atlanta within 34-31, but after that it was Stokes, Burton and the Valkyries coming up with all the crucial plays on both ends.
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“That’s just been our staple all season, we really rely on our defense,” Stokes said.
Golden State owner Joe Lacob promised a championship within five years in a bold declaration when the expansion franchise was granted to the Bay Area three years ago, yet this season has exceeded even what he could have envisioned.
Neither team could find a flow from 3-point range in the first half as they combined to shoot 5 for 29 from deep – 3 for 16 by Golden State and 2 for 13 by Atlanta.
Earlier Monday, the league announced Game 6 would be played at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta with the midday start time EDT – a time when many fans on both coasts will be working.
“I’d like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do,” Smesko said. “I hope everybody gets to see it somehow and I know that for some people it’s not realistic, they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. So I’m disappointed for that but I’m really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible.”
The WNBA worked with the NBA to move the game to State Farm Arena, where Games 3 and 4 of the championship series were played.
The Hawks have a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that night that couldn’t be moved to another date or place. The only way they could make it work was to play the early afternoon game. The Hawks’ game against the Cavaliers was moved back an hour.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Monday. “We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.”
Nakase downplayed the difficulty of adjusting to the early tipoff for Game 6.
“What’s amazing is we’re always prepped for anything,” Nakase said. “So we’ve already scheduled. Made it really intentional. Main thing, rest and recover as best we can. We’ve had six games in 10 days during the regular season. So yeah, it’s really not affecting us. It’s just more we can control what we can control and that’s rest and recovery.”
Added Nakase when asked about remaining grounded through the series: “I just think we’re built for this. I think you can throw anything at our team, our organization, and we’re built for it. We like things that are hard for some reason. We love challenges.”
Because the State Farm Arena court will have to be changed for Thursday night’s Hawks game, the floor might have to be cleared quickly, even though there could be a celebration for a series-clinching win.
By playing Game 6 in the Hawks’ arena, the Dream can have more than 17,000 fans. Their usual home, Gateway Center Arena in suburban College Park, Georgia, seats about 3,500.
Games 3 and 4 were sold out. Fans bought tickets quickly for Thursday’s game, with more than 10,000 sold in the first 90 minutes they were on sale, according to a Dream spokesperson.
“Super excited that the game will be at State Farm,” Atlanta guard Jordin Canada said. “The crowd has shown up and showed out.”
The NBA and WNBA explored options to keep the game in primetime. Both the Hawks and Cavaliers play Wednesday night, so they couldn’t play earlier Thursday.
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AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this story.
More to come on this story.