Valkyries lament their poor ball security as they fall to the Dream to even the WNBA Finals

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Angel Reese stole the ball from Kaila Charles and began dribbling when Tiffany Hayes tried to regain possession, fouled the Atlanta center and sent her to the floor. The Dream star repeatedly slapped her right hand on the court, finding yet another way to fire up her team.

Golden State's miscues kept coming, and Atlanta kept capitalizing — scoring 24 points off 19 turnovers to beat the Valkyries 79-65 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night and even the best-of-seven series at 1-all as it shifts to Atlanta.

“I think we were just a little too loose with the ball,” Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton said. “Obviously that's what they're known for, and we're known for the opposite. It starts with me, I can't just be throwing the ball. It's one of the most important things is taking care of it and so I think just being organized, all being on the same page and then in fast break not getting too sped up, being decisive. I think we had a lot of times where we were hesitant or we weren't on the same page and that's where it led to turnovers.”

Four of the five Golden State starters had two or more turnovers, with Kayla Thornton the only starter without one.

Rhyne Howard set a WNBA Finals single-game record with six steals and DeWanna Bonner chipped in four more off the bench. And Reese finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds.

Burton thought her team was outhustled by the determined Dream, who head home for Game 3 on Wednesday night. She committed three turnovers.

“You could tell that they ramped up their defense, so we've just got to stay focused, stay locked in,” Golden State center Kiah Stokes said.

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase credited the Dream for “their effort, their hustle, their fight,” sprinting back on defense, getting their hands up and clogging the driving lanes.

“It's frustrating, that's been part of our identity. Because our identity is defense, we hang our hats on that,” Nakase said. “The hustle is the turnovers because in order for you to get turnovers they have to kind of outhustle you to create the turnovers.”

The Dream had just eight points off turnovers in their 68-64 Game 1 loss, then two days later returned to the defensive formula that got them this far. And that was crucial in tying up the series.

Nakase plans some conversations about sticking with a game plan and being organized on offense.

Burton will challenge herself to lead the way in taking better care of the ball.

“It starts with me. I've got to clean that up,” she said, “and that's what we'll do.”

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, right, looks to shoot while defended by Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, left, during the second half of Game 2 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, left, and Atlanta Dream guard Isobel Borlase, right, compete for possession of the ball during the first half of Game 2 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton, left, reacts after forcing a turnover against the Atlanta Dream during the first half of Game 2 of the WNBA basketball finals, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) passes the ball while defended by Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, left, during the first half of Game 2 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

NINGBO, China (AP) — Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ningbo Open in China because of an injured left thigh, diminishing her chances of contesting the season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells next month.

The six-time major winner lost to eventual champion Maja Chwalinska in the semifinals at the Wuhan Open last week a nd struggled at times in that match.

“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to withdraw from the tournament,” Swiatek said in a statement posted on social media Tuesday by the Ningbo tournament. “I’ve been experiencing an ongoing problem with my left thigh over the past weeks and I feel that giving myself the time to rest and recover is the right decision.”

Swiatek was one of three players in contention for the last spot in the eight-player field for the WTA Finals with Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk ahead of tournaments this week.

The WTA, in a preview of the Ningbo tournament, said if Swiatek didn't reach the quarterfinals and Kostyuk doesn't reach the final here, Muchova will secure the remaining spot for the season-ending tournament at Indian Wells starting Nov. 8.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, eyes an incoming ball from Elise Mertens, of Belgium during the quarterfinals of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Iga Swiatek of Poland receives a medical timeout in a women's singles semifinal match against her compatriot Maja Chwalinska during the 2026 Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Chinatopix Via AP)