Guards rarely lead a team in blocked shots in a WNBA Finals game. Veronica Burton did it Monday night, and the Golden State Valkyries are one win from a championship.
Burton had 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as Golden State beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 at Chase Center to take a 3-2 series lead. The four blocks were a playoff career high and tied Diana Taurasi's 2009 mark for the most by a guard in a Finals game, according to the Valkyries and The Associated Press.
She played 37 minutes and turned the ball over twice, per ESPN's box score.
A defensive grind
Points were scarce from the start. Golden State led 25-22 at halftime, the lowest-scoring first half in Finals history, the AP reported. Burton opened the second quarter with a step-back jumper from the midrange and then a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The Valkyries pulled away in the second half behind Burton and center Kiah Stokes, who matched her with 13 points and eight rebounds and blocked three shots. Stokes made three 3-pointers and has now blocked at least three shots in six straight playoff games, tying Lisa Leslie's 2003 run for the longest streak in a single postseason.
Atlanta committed 17 turnovers, and Golden State turned them into 21 points. The Valkyries gave the ball away only nine times. Angel Reese was held to seven points, her lowest of the postseason, though she pulled down 15 rebounds. She was called for three offensive fouls.
"Leveled up"
Burton led the WNBA in assist-to-turnover ratio during the regular season, and coach Natalie Nakase said she has carried that care with the ball into the Finals.
"I think she's the best point guard right now in the league," Nakase said, noting Burton had logged 75 minutes over the past two games with only two turnovers. "It's that grittiness. It's that leadership. It's that toughness. ... She took another step today, and leveled up for sure."
