The Golden State Valkyries suffered a 79-65 loss to the Atlanta Dream in WNBA Finals Game 2, with the team’s turnovers becoming a major problem.

After committing a season-high 18 turnovers, coach Natalie Nakase and guard Veronica Burton took responsibility for the mistakes as Atlanta tied the series 1-1 behind Angel Reese’s historic performance.

Natalie Nakase, Veronica Burton Address Valkyries’ Turnover Problems After Game 2 Loss

Golden State’s ball security took a sharp turn for the worse on Monday. The Valkyries had committed just 8 turnovers in their 68-64 Game 1 win, but that number jumped to 18 in Game 2.

It was also well above their regular-season average of 10.4 turnovers per game.

Atlanta made them pay, scoring 24 points off those mistakes. The Dream’s aggressive defense disrupted Golden State’s passing lanes and forced players into rushed decisions, helping Atlanta take control of the game.

During her post-match presser, Nakase acknowledged that her team could have done a better job protecting the ball, while giving credit to the Dream for the pressure they applied.

“It’s controllable. It’s definitely controllable,” Nakase said of the turnovers. “I thought they did a great job sprinting back, getting into the gaps, getting into the driving lanes. So just credit to them on their effort, their hustle, their fight.”

The Valkyries were also beaten in an area central to their identity, something the 46-year-old coach admitted was frustrating.

“It’s frustrating, right? That’s been part of our identity is because our identity is defense. We hang our hats on that,” she said.

Nakase added that she planned to review the team’s performance and question whether she had communicated the game plan clearly enough.

Burton, who averaged 5.7 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game during the regular season, was equally direct about her own role in the problem. The starting guard, who had 3 turnovers in this game, accepted that she needed to be more careful with the ball and help the team stay organized.

“That’s what they’re known for, and we’re known for the opposite. So, I mean, it starts with me,” Burton said. “Like, I can’t just be throwing the ball.”

She also pointed to hesitation and players being out of sync as reasons for the mistakes, saying the team needed to be more decisive and get on the same page.

Center Kiah Stokes echoed that assessment, noting that Atlanta raised its defensive pressure and Golden State failed to execute consistently.

Golden State could not find their usual rhythm, and their mistakes gave the Dream more chances to score in transition.

Reese made the most of those opportunities, finishing with 30 points and 16 rebounds as Atlanta secured its first Finals victory in franchise history. The series is now tied 1-1, with Game 3 moving to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Golden State will need to clean up its ball-handling and rediscover its defensive identity to regain control.