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There can be moments in a playoff series when it feels like a team loses more than just the game.

When a team loses its rhythm, its confidence, its sense of who it is.

Game 3 felt like one of those moments for the Valkyries.

The Atlanta Dream captured back-to-back wins to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals. The second defeat was even more demoralizing than the first. A 27-point blowout prompted Gabby Williams to immediately deliver an impassioned message to her teammates in a huddle on the floor.

Williams told NBC broadcasters that she didn’t recognize the team. The Valkyries disconnected from the defensive identity that had carried them to this moment.

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) shoots past Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) in the fourth quarter during Game 4 of the 2026 WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.…