Gabby Williams scores 26 as the Valkyries close on a 7-0 run to beat the Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

Gabby Williams stood at the free-throw line with 1:18 left, her team down 64-63, and made both. Golden State never trailed again. The Valkyries scored the last seven points of the game and beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco, taking a 1-0 lead in the WNBA Finals.

Williams finished with 26 points, eight of them in the fourth quarter. The Dream did not score in the last 3:12.

Atlanta's fast start

The Dream won the first quarter 22-14. Allisha Gray, back after missing the last two games of the semifinal with a left hand injury, scored the first basket of the series on a driving layup. Atlanta's lead reached nine at 24-15 early in the second quarter.

The turn before half

Golden State won the second quarter 28-17. A 10-0 run late in the quarter turned a 37-32 deficit into a 42-37 lead, and the Valkyries went to the locker room ahead 42-39.

Atlanta's run, Golden State's answer

The third quarter belonged to the Dream, 17-9. Down 51-50 with 1:41 left in the quarter, Atlanta scored eight straight, and Rhyne Howard made two free throws for a 58-51 lead with 9:07 to play.

The Valkyries chipped away. Tiffany Hayes buried a 26-foot three to make it 58-55. Kaila Charles stole the ball from Howard and finished a running layup. Kiah Stokes tipped in a Williams miss to cut it to 60-59 with 4:50 left.

Atlanta pushed back to 64-61 on two Howard free throws with 3:12 left. It was the Dream's last point.

The last 3:12

• Williams made two free throws with 2:15 left: 64-63.
• Williams made two more with 1:18 left after a foul by Angel Reese: 65-64, Golden State.
• Stokes made one of two with 23.8 seconds left: 66-64.
• Williams made two with 4.1 seconds left: 68-64.

Atlanta had chances. Gray missed a driving layup with 1:21 left, Howard missed a three, and Reese stole the ball from Williams with 46 seconds to go. Naz Hillmon and Gray each missed a three after that, and Gray's last try from 23 feet missed with two seconds left.

How it was won

Neither team shot well. Golden State made 25 of 78 shots, 32%, and Atlanta 21 of 64, 33%. The difference was behind the arc and on the glass. The Dream made 4 of 25 threes. The Valkyries made 7 of 33, took 12 offensive rebounds to Atlanta's seven, and blocked 10 shots, four of them by Stokes.

Williams went 8 for 22 from the field and 7 for 8 at the line. Charles came off the bench for seven points and 10 rebounds, and Golden State were 13 points better with her on the floor.

For Atlanta, Gray scored 19 on 5-of-19 shooting and made all eight of her free throws. Reese had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Howard scored 12 on 3-of-14 shooting, and Jordin Canada had eight points and seven assists.

The crowd was 18,064.

The Dream are now 0-10 in WNBA Finals games across four trips. The Valkyries, in their second season, are three wins from a first title. So are the Dream, who need four in their next six.

Scoring

Golden State Valkyries: Gabby Williams 26, Kiah Stokes 9, Cecilia Zandalasini 8, Kaila Charles 7, Veronica Burton 5, Laeticia Amihere 5, Kaitlyn Chen 5, Tiffany Hayes 3, Kayla Thornton 0, Janelle Salaun 0.

Atlanta Dream: Allisha Gray 19, Angel Reese 14, Rhyne Howard 12, Jordin Canada 8, Naz Hillmon 5, Isobel Borlase 4, DeWanna Bonner 2, Madina Okot 0.

By quarter: Golden State 14, 28, 9, 17. Atlanta 22, 17, 17, 8.

What is next

Game 2 is Monday, October 19, at Chase Center, 8 p.m. Eastern. The series then moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, October 21, and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24.

Before the series: our Game 1 preview, and Victor Ashby's case to pick the Dream anyway.

Update: the Game 2 preview.