In six games in this playoff so far, four Golden State Valkyries players have led the team in scoring, and three in assists. These stats are a testament to the depth of the Valkyries, and perhaps the biggest danger for any team. With the Atlanta Dream being their final hurdle, The Athletic’s writer, Sabreena Merchant, ‌has raised the toughest question for the Valkyries so far. Can the absence of a certified bucket getter prove fatal for the Valkyries? 

“Golden State has the deeper roster. They can throw waves at you if Gabby Williams doesn’t have it; here comes Tiffany Hayes. If Kayla Thornton doesn’t have it, like here comes Janelle Salaün. There’s so many different pitches they can throw…They just have a variety of individual skill sets, and yet I don’t think they have the individual, like, go-get-a-bucketness,” Merchant said on the No Offseason podcast.

The Valkyries have experienced a scoring drought during the regular season and the playoffs. However, now and then, they used their suffocating defense to buy their ticket out of the situation. They were down sixteen during Game 3 of the first-round series against the Dallas Wings. Unable to get buckets, the Valkyries unleashed their defense and pushed the Wings in the corner to eventually win the series.

But Atlanta is a different kind of beast. During this playoff, they have been the best team on both ends of the floor with the best offensive and defensive rating. Led by the Defensive Player of the Year, the Dream look like a team that can significantly dilute Valkyries’ offense, and the absence of a volume isolation scorer can hurt them.

“They’re very disruptive. They get into you. The pressure that Jordin Canada provides. The backline protection of Angel Reese, I think, is better during the playoffs than it was over the course of the regular season,” Carpenter added.

Flau’jae Johnson raises similar issue about the Valkyries

Carpenter is not the first person to raise such issues about the Valkyries. Previously, Seattle Storm’s guard Flau’jae Johnson had a similar concern about the Valkyries’ offense.

“They need that go-to killer. I feel like they don’t have that,” Johnson said on Sue Bird’s podcast on YouTube. “If we see the Gabby Williams that we saw at the FIBA World Cup, how she was taking over, then I’m like, ‘Okay.’ But I feel like they play so much like a team. But who’s going to have that takeover factor, like when it’s time to [win] like Kyrie [Irving] and [LeBron James] in the NBA Finals?”

While the Valkyries have been successful so far in the playoffs, we are yet to see any takeover game from either Williams, Veronica Burton, Thornton or Hayes. They can score, but they are not volume scorers like A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart, who can take over the offensive side.

The Valkyries have made up for the absence of a star scorer with high-quality shot selection through ball distribution and drives and kicks. So far, they have been successful, but a team like Atlanta that does an excellent job in interceptions and rebounding can stall such offense. 

Gabby Williams has upped her offense, but is it enough?

While the Valkyries are certainly missing an A+ grade certified scorer who can demand the ball against tough defenders, they have found a lifeline in Gabby Williams. Her impact on both ends of the floor has been story-worthy, and if the Valkyries win the title, she stands the highest chance to win the Finals MVP. 

During the regular season, Williams led her team with 14.4 points per game, shooting 40.4% from the field and 34.2% from the 3-point line. Fast forward to the playoffs, and her offense has taken a leap.

In six games, she is leading all Valkyries with 22.7 points. She is also shooting 44.9% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. But is she really the one to be the difference between her team and the Dream if Atlanta disrupts their scoring?

“I realize Gabby Williams has done some of this, but I still think Angel Reese, her singular determination to get possession back, is better than any singular skill that I see on the Golden State Valkyries,” Merchant further added.

The Valkyries’ biggest strength is their team identity. It was their offense that was flagged as their biggest weakness, and perhaps their Achilles heel in the postseason, but it hasn’t stopped them from reaching the WNBA Finals. The Dream can pose a big threat, but it is a seven-game series that gives them time to make adjustments and keep themselves alive in the series.

The WNBA Finals start in the Bay Area, which also gives the Valkyries an advantage. Atlanta and Golden State will face each other in Game 1 at Chase Center on Saturday, Oct. 17.