Valkyries, 5-0 at home in the playoffs, host the Dream in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals

Five home games this postseason, five wins. The Golden State Valkyries take that record into Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, one game up on the Atlanta Dream after Gabby Williams closed out Game 1 at the free-throw line. Tip-off is 8 p.m. Eastern.

A win sends Golden State to Atlanta two wins from a first title. A loss sends the series east at 1-1, with the Dream holding home court for the next two games.

What Game 1 settled

The Valkyries won it 68-64 on Saturday by scoring the last seven points. Atlanta led 64-61 on two Rhyne Howard free throws with 3:12 left and did not score again. Williams made six free throws in the last 2:15, and Kiah Stokes made one more.

It was the Dream's first loss of the playoffs. They had gone 5-0 to reach the Finals, two wins over Washington and three over New York.

It was also a game neither offense will want to watch twice. Golden State made 25 of 78 shots. Atlanta made 21 of 64, and only four of 25 threes. The Valkyries took 12 offensive rebounds to Atlanta's seven and blocked 10 shots, four by Stokes.

Golden State: the home floor and Williams

The Valkyries are 6-1 in the playoffs. Their one loss came on the road, 108-100 at Dallas in Game 2 of the first round. At Chase Center they have beaten Dallas twice, Las Vegas twice and Atlanta once. They also beat the Dream all three times in the regular season: 77-66 and 78-75 in San Francisco in June, and 88-83 in Atlanta on July 4.

Williams has carried the scoring. She is averaging 23.1 points over seven playoff games, and she scored 26 in Game 1 on 8-of-22 shooting, eight of them in the fourth quarter. Tiffany Hayes is next at 11.9 a game.

Kaila Charles was the other story of Saturday. Off the bench, she had seven points and 10 rebounds and stole the ball from Howard for a running layup in the fourth quarter. Golden State were 13 points better with her on the floor.

Atlanta: the shots have to fall

The Dream spread the scoring wider. Through six playoff games, Saturday included, Howard is at 18.0 points a game, Angel Reese at 17.3 with 9.0 rebounds, and Jordin Canada at 17.3 with 8.5 assists.

Allisha Gray is back. She missed the last two games of the semifinal with a left hand injury, returned on Saturday and scored a team-high 19, making all eight of her free throws. She shot 5 of 19 from the field.

That is the problem in one line. Atlanta's top three scorers in Game 1, Gray, Reese and Howard, made 13 of 44 shots between them. Howard made three of 14. The Dream still led with three minutes left.

Neither team has a new injury on the league's list for Game 2. Atlanta's Brionna Jones remains out for the season with a left leg injury.

The stakes

The Dream are 0-10 in WNBA Finals games across four trips to the Finals. The Valkyries are in their second season. Whoever wins this series wins a first championship.

What is next

Game 2 is Monday, October 19, at 8 p.m. Eastern at Chase Center. The series moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, October 21, at 8 p.m. and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24, at 1 p.m. If needed, Game 5 is back in San Francisco on Monday, October 26, Game 6 in Atlanta on Thursday, October 29, and Game 7 in San Francisco on Saturday, October 31.

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

Update: The Dream won Game 2 79-65 and Game 3 97-71 to lead the Finals 2-1.