BENGALURU, India (AP) — A thrilling Twenty20 cricket series between India and West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw on Saturday after no result in the fifth and final match because of rain.
Play finally began at 9:15 p.m. local time — after a delay of nearly two hours at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru — with each innings reduced from 20 to nine overs per side.
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India's Tilak Varma is bowled out by West Indies' Shamar Springer during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
West Indies' captain Shai Hope, right, talks to his bowler Keemo Paul during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's captain Shreyas Iyer plays a shot during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
West Indies' Rovman Powell leaves the field as groundsmen cover the playing surface as rain disrupts play during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's captain Shreyas Iyer and West Indies' captain Shai Hope, right, pose with the winners' trophy after the five-match T20 cricket series between the two countries concluded in a draw, in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India had reached 118-5 in 7.4 overs before rain prevented any further play after West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl. Ishan Kishan top-scored with 30 off 10 balls, hitting two sixes and three fours.
Shreyas Iyer contributed a 14-ball 22 and Naman Dhir hit 24 not out off only six balls, including three sixes, before the rain came down once again. Play was called off at 10:21 p.m. – the last starting time to allow West Indies to bat for only five overs.
India won the first and third T20s at Lucknow and Indore by eight wickets and 14 runs, respectively, but each time West Indies bounced back.
West Indies won the second and fourth T20s in Ranchi and Hyderabad by six wickets and 24 runs, respectively.
West Indies skipper Shai Hope hit two centuries in the matches and was named player of the series.
India had previously won the three-match ODI series 2-1.
India will head to New Zealand for a busy tour – five T20s, five ODIs and two tests, with the T20 series starting Oct. 22 in Christchurch.
West Indies will tour Bangladesh for two tests starting Oct. 28 in in Dhaka.
See AP’s full cricket coverage here
India's Tilak Varma is bowled out by West Indies' Shamar Springer during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
West Indies' captain Shai Hope, right, talks to his bowler Keemo Paul during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's captain Shreyas Iyer plays a shot during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
West Indies' Rovman Powell leaves the field as groundsmen cover the playing surface as rain disrupts play during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and West Indies in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's captain Shreyas Iyer and West Indies' captain Shai Hope, right, pose with the winners' trophy after the five-match T20 cricket series between the two countries concluded in a draw, in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kiah Stokes swatted shots and crashed the boards on both ends, pulling down seven rebounds while also blocking four shots.
Kaila Charles came off the bench and contributed 10 rebounds, made two steals and also blocked a shot.
Laeticia Amihere offered important intel on her former Atlanta team and took on the load against Angel Reese.
That swarming, all-hands-on-deck Golden State defense shined in crunch time to hold down Reese, Allisha Gray and the physical Dream, and the Valkyries now have a 1-0 lead in the WNBA Finals because of it after the 68-64 win Saturday.
Each timeout, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase made sure everyone was in agreement and on the same page with the plan to slow down Atlanta's star players.
“It kind of just fits into who we are, that’s been our identity, we rely on it,” Nakase said. “We know it's effort, we know it's the details. And I thought tonight our staff did a great job when to switch the coverage, how to finish the coverage. We did a great job just studying their plays.”
Atlanta was just 2 for 19 in an eight-point fourth quarter, Allisha Gray was scoreless over the final 10 minutes and Reese scored all of her 14 points in the first half.
“I don’t think they really did anything,” Reese said. “Maybe that was just on me I wasn’t aggressive enough with the ball and trying to get the ball and get to my spot. I’m definitely going to do a better job of that next game.”
It's a quick turnaround to Game 2 in the best-of-seven series Monday night back on the Valkyries' home floor with that rocking “Ballhalla” home crowd screaming and crashing thunder sticks at every chance.
Gray missed all seven of her shots in the fourth quarter as she returned from a finger injury, including a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 9 seconds left as Atlanta’s long-range attempts clanked out or fell short in the most crucial of moments.
The Dream wound up 4 for 25 from deep and 32.8% from the floor overall.
“A big emphasis on boxing out and rebounding,” Stokes said.
Atlanta committed 12 turnovers that led to 17 points for the Valkyries — Reese had four turnovers, and Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada three apiece.
Howard went 3 for 14 from the floor and 2 of 9 on 3s for 12 points.
“Golden State's a great defense but I've got a lot of confidence that we're going to see some really big games from Rhyne and others and that we'll take care of what we need to take care of,” Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said.
Even Veronica Burton had a pair of blocks as the Valkyries finished with 10.
Amihere, who played for the Dream in 2023 and '24, offered plenty of insight and shared the defensive load against Reese.
“I thought LA did a fantastic job with that matchup. LA had great energy,” Nakase said. “She was kind of our insight with this game plan so you could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup. Of course she's going to say it's team defense. It was everyone being on the same string, calling her number and getting back in transition I thought LA did a phenomenal job and protecting the rim."
All along, Nakase has called this a “Strength in Numbers” group with Golden State — a similar mantra of the Warriors during their NBA championship runs — and so many different players made an impact in the series opener.
“Kiah and Kai made game-winning plays,” Williams said. “Kiah got a big O-board after I missed the layup she went up and got the O-board, got the lid off the basket. Same with Kai. Kai made a huge defensive stop in transition, got a wide-open layup. When our shots aren't falling those are the kind of plays that are going to win these kinds of games.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, left, reaches for the ball against Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese during the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) shoots against Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere during the second half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries guard-forward Kaila Charles, left, celebrates with forward Gabby Williams (1) and guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) after Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Atlanta Dream, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries guard-forward Kaila Charles (6) reaches for a rebound against Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon (00) during the second half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes, bottom, is fouled by Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, top, during the second half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
