WNBA Finals winners, losers: Kiah Stokes shines, Angel Reese struggles in Game 5 as Valkyries take 3-2 lead

The Golden State Valkyries are one win away from their first title in franchise history after a 64-55 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 5 of the 2026 WNBA Finals on Monday. Now up 3-2, the Valkyries will have a chance to clinch on Thursday afternoon in Atlanta. Tip-off for Game 6 is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.

Game 5 was not an instant classic.

Offense was even more difficult to come by than it had been in the first four games of the series, and the shotmaking on both sides was largely abysmal. The Valkyries led 25-22 at halftime, and both teams barely cracked the 40-point mark by the end of the third quarter. There wasn't much to write home about until the fourth, when the Valkyries pulled away.

Kiah Stokes, who has been dominant on the defensive end and on the glass, hit a huge 3-pointer to push the Valkyries' lead up to double digits early in the fourth, and the Dream never truly had a response. Stokes finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in her highest-scoring game of the playoffs. Veronica Burton added 13 points and Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini had 12 points apiece.

The Valkyries held the Dream to 55 points on 19 of 65 from the field (29.2%) and forced 15 turnovers, which they converted into 21 points. Crucially, the Valkyries shut down Angel Reese and kept the Dream off the free-throw line. Reese managed just seven points on 2 of 8 from the field, and the Dream's 14 free throw attempts were by far their fewest of the series.

Here are some winners and losers from Game 5:

Winner: Kiah Stokes

Stokes played 12 total minutes in the playoffs last season with the Las Vegas Aces, who decided they had no use for her en route to their third title in four seasons. As she hit unrestricted free agency last offseason, it was fair to wonder if she was on her way out of the league. Though she eventually signed with the Valkyries, it was hard to imagine her being an impact player again, especially as she approached her mid-30s and the game moved more and more toward spacing and shooting. 

Not only is Stokes still an impact player, as it turns out, she might be the Finals MVP. 

WNBA Finals MVP rankings: Angel Reese, Gabby Williams lead the way ahead of Game 5 in tied series

Jack Maloney

Stokes was terrific yet again Monday. She controlled the paint on the defensive end, shutting down Angel Reese and anyone else who dared to venture near the basket. Reese, who dominated Games 2 and 3, managed just seven points on 2 of 8 from the field. As a team, the Dream shot 7 of 23 (30.4%) at the rim. Stokes blocked three of those attempts and grabbed eight rebounds. She now has 17 blocks in the series, extending her own record for the most blocks in a single Finals, and has blocked at least three shots in six consecutive playoff games, which ties Lisa Leslie for the longest such streak in WNBA history. 

And unlike the first four games of the series, Stokes also provided a serious scoring boost on the other end. She hit three 3-pointers to set a new playoff career-high, and finished with 13 points, which was not only her highest-scoring game of the series, but her second-highest scoring game in the playoffs ever. 

Loser: Angel Reese

Reese grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out five assists in Game 5, but she once again had a miserable night in the scoring department. She didn't make a single shot after the 1:39 mark of the first quarter, and her seven points were the fewest she's scored this entire postseason. 

For the second game in a row, Reese had more turnovers (three), than made baskets (two). And once again, she had major trouble against Stokes, who blocked one of her shots and altered a few others. 

Notably, Reese also only took four free throws on Monday, which was another postseason-low. The officials let just about everything go in what was an extremely phsyical contest. Reese struggled to deal with the contact and the fact that she wasn't getting any calls. 

"I think for me, like I'm still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality," Reese said. "I mean, a lot of us are getting fouled, and they're not calling it, or we're talking to the ref after, and they're saying, 'Oh, we'll get you next time.' So it is a little frustrating, especially in the moment. I mean, I'm kind of used to it because this is happening throughout the season, so I have to just continue to play through it."

Here's a look at Reese's offensive production this series, which has been a roller coaster. The Dream are 2-0 when she reaches 20 points and 0-3 when she's under 15 points. 

Winner: Valkyries

The Valkyries, in their second season of existence, are one win away from their first championship. No one considered the Valkyries a title contender entering the season, but time and again they've defied expectations and the odds. 

• They didn't have a single All-WNBA player, yet went 32-12 to earn the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. 
• They were down 16 in the second half of a winner-take-all Game 3 in the first round against the Dallas Wings, yet came back to win. 
• They were underdogs against the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, yet swept them after pulling off another double-digit comeback in the series-clinching Game 3. 
• They were down 2-1 in this series, facing Game 4 on the road, yet won two in a row to take a 3-2 lead

"This team is gonna find a way," Gabby Williams said after their Game 1 victory, and that sums up the Valkyries experience. 

Loser: Atlanta's offense

The Dream scored a season-low 62 points on 33.3% shooting in their Game 4 defeat. They were even worse in Game 5. In a historically bad outing, the Dream scored just 55 points on 29.2% shooting. Their 55 points were tied for the 10th-fewest ever in a Finals game, and this was just the fourth time in WNBA history that a team has shot under 30% in a Finals game. 

Worst team field goal percentages in Finals history

Aside from Rhyne Howard, who put up 20 points on 7 of 15 in her best outing of the series, no one on the Dream had any answers against the Valkyries' defense, which was even more active and physical than usual. Jordin Canada shot 5 of 18, Allisha Gray shot 4 of 12, Reese was 2 of 8 and no one on the bench made a shot. DeWanna Bonner and Isobel Borlase, who have been so big in this run to the Finals, combined for four points on 0 of 8. 

Shotmaking has been an issue for the Dream throughout this series, but they've been able to supplement it with trips to the free throw line. Even that wasn't working in Game 5. The Dream's 14 free throw attempts were a series-low by a wide margin. 

Dream's free throw attempts in the Finals

"I give them credit for playing good defense. They're known for their defense, and they've been playing great defense throughout the series. But I mean, I do want to have Angel's back here. Like the contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous. Just ridiculous. And we should have gone to the foul line 16 more times just on that," Dream coach Karl Smesko said after the game.  

"So you know, there's things that are on us, like we're missing shots we should make, but at the same time, that needs to be a whole lot better than it was. And it's time that if you push somebody with two hands as they drive, it's got to be a foul."