Gabby Williams scores 26 points, sends Valkyries to 68-64 Game 1 win in defensive WNBA Finals opener

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gabby Williams so believes in Golden State's poise in crunch time because of the way the Valkyries have won all along with their defense.They believe in each other to make the play in the biggest of moments.Williams converted two free throws with 1:18 left to put Golden State ahead, two more with 4.1 seconds to go on the way to scoring 26 points while facing constant pressure from Atlanta's stingy defense, and the Valkyries held off the Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday.“Even though we were down with a few minutes left I think we had the game right where we wanted it because it just came down to getting stops,” Williams said. “That's been our bread and butter all season. That's why we harp on it so much because we've built great defensive habits for these moments.”It was the first loss all postseason for Atlanta, snapping a 10-game winning streak overall. And coach Karl Smesko was ready to get right back to work watching film to figure out what t