Late in games, Gabby Williams starts counting.
asserted
Williams → start → games
She constantly computes math in her head, all while handling the pressure of being the one to regularly take big shots for the Golden State Valkyries.
asserted
She → compute → Valkyries
Better Williams than coach Natalie Nakase, that’s for sure.
asserted
that → ’ → Nakase
“What’s her obsession with math?” Nakase inquired when told about Williams’ process.
asserted
Nakase → ’ → process
“I don’t do math.
asserted
I → do → math
I do more like coverages and schemes and seeing people’s energy and more connectivity with our group.
asserted
I → do → group
That’s all Gabby.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
I’m not that smart.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I’m not doing math out there.
asserted
I → do → math
I didn’t do math since the UCLA days.”
Whatever it is that Williams does, it’s working well during her first playoff run with the Valkyries after coming to the Bay Area for just this: a chance at a championship.
asserted
it → do → championship
Golden State leads the Atlanta Dream 1-0 in their best-of-seven WNBA Finals.
asserted
State → lead → Finals
Even members of Golden State’s athletic training staff have noticed Williams making her mental notes down the stretch.
asserted
Williams → notice → stretch
The veteran guard scored 26 points in a 68-64 Game 1 win Saturday, missing her initial four shots before scoring 16 of her 26 points in the second quarter.
asserted
guard → score → quarter
She was the only Valkyries player in double figures as Golden State shot 32.1% and 7 of 33 from 3-point range.
asserted
State → shoot → range
“Yeah, same thing, doing math,” Williams explained of her mindset.
asserted
Williams → do → mindset
“One of our trainers, she was like, ‘In the fourth quarter, you always do this thing and I know you’re going to start taking over, you look at the clock.’
asserted
you → do → clock
And I’m like: ‘Yeah, I’m counting.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I’m counting possessions, I’m counting points, what do we need now, what’s the most timely time to go.
asserted
time → count → what
’
“I think it’s just like the best way to kind of take the pressure off things, too, is just to break them down possession by possession.”
asserted
way → think → possession
The Dream had been outstanding down the stretch during their first two series, both sweeps, to reach the franchise’s fourth finals.
asserted
Dream → reach → finals
Yet Atlanta is still yet to win a finals game.
asserted
Atlanta → win → game
Coach Karl Smesko can’t wait for his team to find a way to bounce back Monday night.
asserted
team → wait → way
Atlanta shot 2 for 19 in the fourth quarter.
asserted
Atlanta → shoot → quarter
“I just think we need to maintain how we want to play for a whole four quarters.
asserted
we → think → quarters
We had a couple dry spells where we just weren’t working together as well as you need to against this defense.
asserted
you → have → defense
They are not just going to give you easy shots,” he said.
asserted
he → go → shots
“So we are going to need to work together to create these advantages.”
asserted
we → go → advantages
Execution is especially challenging in the hostile environment that is Golden State’s deafening “Ballhalla” sellout home crowd — with rally towels waving and thunder sticks cracking all game long.
asserted
sticks → wave → environment
While Smesko was pleased with how the Dream handled the noise, he will challenge his players to communicate even better next time out.
asserted
he → please → players
“I thought the environment was great.
asserted
environment → think → ?
I thought the crowd was great.
asserted
crowd → think → ?
They were cheering at all the right times,” Smesko said.
asserted
Smesko → cheer → times
“But I think when we had a breakdown, it was something that we worked on and we just would have a miscommunication or something like that. ...
asserted
we → think → that
When we have an opportunity to finish a game, we’ve just got to do it.”
asserted
we → have → it
Nakase challenged her team’s loyal, violet-loving fans once more to bring all their energy again Monday.
asserted
Nakase → challenge → energy
Like we’ve got to go Game 2, it has to be better.
asserted
it → get → Game
We’re going to ask more from our players.
asserted
We → go → players
So I’d say, check for Game 1,” she said.
asserted
she → say → Game
“Let’s get a better Game 2.
asserted
’s → let → Game
Careful what you drink tonight.”
asserted
you → drink → what
The Aporia
