Expect afternoon fireworks this Fourth of July when the Atlanta Dream, desperate for a win amid a four-game losing streak, meet the Golden State Valkyries, the team that handed them the first two losses of said skid. The rematch is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be available on CBS and Paramount+.
Atlanta's fourth-quarter struggles led to an 81-76 loss to Washington on Thursday night despite the Dream leading for 76% of the game and the Mystics missing star guard Sonia Citron due to a foot injury. This dropped them to a 12-8 overall record, putting them in a three-way tie for fourth in the league standings with the New York Liberty and Dallas Wings.
Meanwhile, Golden State is third overall with a 13-7 overall record. The Valkyries have won three consecutive games, the first two against Atlanta and the most recent one a 76-67 victory over the Liberty. Here is what you need to know ahead of Saturday's matchup.
Where to watch Golden State vs. Atlanta Dream
Date: Saturday, July 4 Time: 1 p.m. ET Location: Gateway Center -- College Park, Georgia TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+ Odds (via FanDuel): Atlanta -3.5, O/U: 161.5
Tomorrow, we've got a big @WNBA showdown in Atlanta: @valkyries vs. @AtlantaDream. CBS | Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/4MRhYVyxib
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 3, 2026
Last Meeting
The Valkyries started Atlanta's current four-game losing streak with back-to-back wins on June 24 and 26. One more win and they will sweep their regular-season series.
Gabby Williams was a key piece of their 78-75 victory in their most recent outing by scoring 13 straight points in the fourth quarter. She had a team-high 16 points while four other teammates also scored in double digits, including Kaitlyn Chen with 13 points off the bench. Kiah Stokes also contributed with 13 points and flirted with a double-double by registering a franchise-record seven blocks.
The Dream shot just 34% from the field in that game, and it was a particularly rough shooting night for Atlanta star Rhyne Howard as she went just 2 of 16 from the field. Jordin Canada led the team's effort with a season-high 23 points while shooting 7 of 11, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Dream's offensive struggles
Howard and Alisha Gray are averaging 18.9 and 18.3 points per game, respectively, which puts them in the top 15 in scoring across the league. Meanwhile, Canada is top five in assists with seven dimes per game.
But as a team, the Dream are eighth overall in scoring with 87.7 points per game. In three of their last four games, they scored under 80 points and shot under 40% from the field. Part of it could be fatigue as Atlanta played six games in 10 days while traveling across the country. However, Golden State deserves a lot of credit.
Howard had two of her lowest-scoring games of the season while playing against the Valkyries, scoring just 12 and 9 points. In comparison, she had 27 points in the loss against Seattle and 24 points against Washington. Gray also struggled against Golden State, notching a season-low 8 points in the June 24 loss. As for Canada, she only had a total of four assists through the two games against the Valkyries.
"I think Golden State plays great defense and they weren't leaving Ry at all and they're being physical with her," coach Karl Smesko said after the June 26 loss. "This is what, five games in nine days plus cross-country travel. It takes a toll on you. I'm not making excuses for our players and they wouldn't want me to... They really competed as hard as they can. Unfortunately, they didn't have a great shooting night. Those things happen."
Golden State's defense
Atlanta is not the only team that struggles against Golden State's defense. In fact, the Valkyries are holding opponents to just 77.9 points per game, which is the best in the league.
Golden State is coming off a 76-67 win over the Liberty, who have been held to 70 or fewer points just twice this season, and both of those times were against the Valkyries. On Sunday, New York star Sabrina Ionescu had just nine points on 3 of 10 shooting.
She is certainly not the only top guard to struggle against the Valkyries. Minnesota Lynx rookie star Olivia Miles was another victim -- they're the only team all season to hold Miles under 10 points.
"I think they just take so much pride on that side," coach Natalie Nakase said about her guards' defensive effort. "Defense to me is all heart and all hustle. Those are the players we obviously intentionally went after. When we talk about a deep roster and strength in numbers, it's because we need to be able to sustain guarding a Sabrina, a Paige (Bueckers), a Kelsey Plum. It takes multiple matchups and being able to go into the bench. I think it's heart and hustle."
Angel Reese breaking records
Angel Reese recently said she and her teammates were disrespected because the Dream does not have have a single starter for the WNBA All-Star game, even though they are tied with the Liberty for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the perceived snub, Reese's stats are making noise. She is averaging 14.8 points and 11. 7 rebounds per game while her 13 double-doubles so far is the most by any player this season. She also leads the league in rebounds and last month became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 boards in just 79 games -- surpassing Tina Charles' previous record of 89 games.
While she is sometimes criticized for benefiting from her own misses, Reese's stats show she could lead the league in offensive rebounds even without her "mebounds." Without counting any of her own misses, Reese still has 80 offensive rebounds, which is still significantly more than the total 65 offensive boards Natasha Howard has in second place.
Gabby Williams shining for the Valkyries
Golden State became the first-ever team to make the WNBA playoffs in its inaugural season, and the addition of Gabby Williams has helped the team pick up even more momentum this year. For comparison, the Valkyries were 10-10 after their first 20 games in 2025, and now they are 13-7, which is the third-best record in the league.
While it is her eighth season in the WNBA, this is the biggest role Williams has had on any team. She was already known for her defense and is currently averaging a team-high 1.5 steals per contest. However, she has proven she is a dangerous two-way player as she is also leading the team with a career-best 15.8 points per game. Williams is currently one of the top candidates to win Most Improved and is also already writing her name in the Golden State history books as the franchise's first All-Star starter.
"You see it on a night-in, night-out basis — her ability to score within our offense — she's able to create her own shot when need be and then she's able to fit into how we run our offense," said teammate Veronica Burton. "She's a really dynamic scorer and in big moments, at the most important time of the game, she's getting clutch buckets down the stretch. There's a steadiness to her and she's super reliable. Her composure, her ability to keep us together — we really feel it and so it really has elevated us as a whole."
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
