The Atlanta Dream travel to San Francisco to face the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night in a game that could preview a first-round WNBA playoff series between the second and seventh seeds.
Atlanta enters with a 12-4 record and a four-game winning streak, while the expansion Valkyries stand at 10-7 after consecutive losses.
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Key Matchup in the Paint
The game features a major tactical battle inside the restricted area, where Golden State has the league's top-ranked defense against a high-volume but inefficient Atlanta interior offense.
Dream forward Angel Reese faces a critical test against Golden State's rim protection.
She enters shooting a career-high 50.3 percent in the restricted area, ranking 112th in the league despite leading in attempts.
The Valkyries look to rebound from a 92-73 loss to Las Vegas, where they shot just 5-of-30 from three-point range.
"They went on a run and (we) weren't able to stop that," said Golden State forward Cecilia Zandalasini.
"We're gonna learn from this game because I think we can be way better than that."
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Players to Watch
Golden State relies on Gabby Williams, who leads the team with 15.9 points per game, alongside Janelle Salaun and Veronica Burton.
Atlanta counters with Allisha Gray's 19.5 points per game and Rhyne Howard's 19.1 points per game, supported by rookie Madina Okot and guard Jordin Canada.
Howard highlighted the Dream's offensive depth after a 94-87 victory over Toronto on Monday.
"If you have multiple players going to double digits, it's hard to lose," Howard said.
"Being able to have threats everywhere makes it harder because if you leave one, somebody else is gonna be open.
You're going to pay the price every time."
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The matchup will be broadcast nationally on the USA Network.
