WNBA FINALS: DREAM VS. VALKYRIES

October 24, 2026

Gabby Williams

Kiah Stokes

Golden State Valkyries

Game 4: Postgame

Golden State Valkyries 67, Atlanta Dream 62

Q. Gabby, just curious for you, what adjustment did you guys make today that you like that you think helped you in the game?

GABBY WILLIAMS: Again, defense. I'm sorry if I sound redundant but we just picked up our ball pressure. I think we're a bit more connected today, and that gives us our energy.

Q. Kiah, tonight you look the challenge of going against Angel and slowing her down, what was the mindset tonight of slowing Angel down right?

KIAH STOKES: She's been the head of their snake all series and for me it was trying to make every look she had at the basket difficult. It was a tough job but I think being our best defensive big, I have to own up to that challenge.

Like I said, it was trying to make or take difficult shots.

Q. Where did you guys regain your fight? That was the conversation last two days. What was the mindset heading into it?

KIAH STOKES: The one thing I had told the team after the last game is the goal when we play on the road, especially when it's 2-2, just steal one on the road. So yeah, we lost on, what was that, Wednesday, but to me that doesn't mean we're out of anything, right, because our goal could still be accomplished if we won today and we go back home, and now it's a best-of-three series.

For me, it was just shake it off, learn from it and keep going because nothing was won or lost in Game 3.

Q. You made history by having the most blocks in a Finals series. I just want to talk about what you've put for the team in the past four games.

KIAH STOKES: Obviously that's cool to hear but I just hang my hat on defense. I like to block shots. Obviously they got me on a few pump fakes and I got some fouls. I'm trying to be the last line of defense for our team that allows my guards to play with pressure a little more.

I know they have confidence that I have their back. So just trying to do what I can do.

Q. Gabby, you talked about how you changed up your leadership style a little bit after the last game, but do you feel like that was effective, and will you continue to use your voice like that?

GABBY WILLIAMS: I think it got me going. I didn't -- I didn't like my last game. I didn't like who I was in that last game. So I think, like, stepping up in that role made me step up, also, individually. You know, if I want to lead my team, I have to be the one that sets the tone, and I have to lead by example, as well. So I think that motivated me to set the tempo today.

Started off the game with a lot of aggressiveness, and before the game, I just talked to the team about -- you weren't in there -- but I talked to the team about just not having regrets and that the beauty of our sport is, as bad as we felt on Wednesday, we get to turn around and make it right up today.

Q. Gabby, just talk about the turnovers. You guys took care of the ball so much better today than the last couple games. How big was that? And Kiah, you talked yesterday about the physicality, how you had to match it and play harder and harder. Offensive rebounds, second shots, defense, how important was it to show that heart, so to speak?

GABBY WILLIAMS: Yeah, as far as taking care of the ball, I think we stopped letting -- we stopped letting the officiating like dictate the game. I think last game, we were very soft. Like we were expecting a foul call or we were expecting this. But it's the Finals. It's going to be physical. It's going to be tough. We have to woman up. We decided to play through that contact versus, you know, wanting it to be easy.

KIAH STOKES: Just really, to bounce off that, the physicality in the Finals, we don't know what the refs are going to call. It could be for us or against us. We just to make sure we bring the physicality and make it, 1 through 5, we have to make it hard for them to get easy looks and we did a better job of that versus Game 3.

Q. Can you talk about the experience from the vets today and how it played into the W and the win for today?

GABBY WILLIAMS: Kiah spoke, she's a three-time champion, so we follow her, especially she knows what it takes in these moments. She talked it not being easy last year, almost losing to Seattle and almost losing to Indiana but it's how you respond that matters.

Q. Can you talk about how big Tiff was in the fourth quarter?

GABBY WILLIAMS: Huge. Absolutely huge. Especially I was having a hard time seeing the ball go in but that's why we rely on each other.

Yeah, Tiff, she's a dog. She's so fast. Her being able to come alive in the fourth quarter really sealed the game for us.

Q. How do you describe the first half? Seemed like it was very tone-setting and you got an advantage that they weren't able to chip into. What was the feel of that first half, would you say?

KIAH STOKES: We just really emphasized coming out strong and just setting the tone from the jump. We just wanted to make sure nothing was easy for Atlanta, and I think the last couple games we kind of allowed them to punch first. So we just wanted to make the effort to make sure that we were the aggressors from the start.

Q. Kiah, you had five field goal attempts in the very first quarter. Was that kind of like an intentional, going into the game as part of the game plan to keep Atlanta honest in that way?

KIAH STOKES: Honestly, no, not really. It was just shoot open shots, so I was open on a few of them. Not going to lie, my three felt pretty good in warm-ups but it didn't drop. That's all right. I just know my teammates got my back. Just gives us the chance to get more offensive rebounds.

In the past, when I wouldn't shoot those shots, I think it's a detriment to our team. For me, if you shoot it, it's a chance to get a rebound and another possession.