Draymond Green’s warning arrived before the Valkyries’ chance to close out the WNBA Finals: “Three (wins) is a long way from four.”¹ By Thursday afternoon in Atlanta, Golden State had learned precisely how long.

A scheduling conflict at State Farm Arena pushed Game 6 into a 12:30 p.m. local matinee — breakfast time for a team still on Pacific time. The Valkyries rejected the body-clock explanation, with forward Gabby Williams saying, “They played at the same time as us, right?”¹ But the opening quarter looked unmistakably flat. Atlanta hit 75% of its 3-pointers in the period, built a 19-point lead and never let Golden State back in front on the way to an 80-69 win.

Coach Natalie Nakase’s reading was harsher than any travel excuse. “We knew they were going to play like their life depends on it,” she said. “So for us not to match that is disappointing and frustrating.”¹

Yet the Valkyries insist the loss was not simply a collapse. Guard Veronica Burton pointed to their response after the first-quarter hole: “We cleaned it up. We didn’t quit.”¹ Golden State ultimately edged Atlanta in rebounds, steals and fast-break points, but the early barrage remained the game’s defining fact.

The result tied the series 3-3 and sent it back to Chase Center — Ballhalla — for Saturday’s deciding Game 7. The 5 p.m. Pacific tip will air on USA Network and CNBC, stream on Peacock and be carried by 95.7 The Game; the winner will claim its first WNBA championship.²

For the Valkyries, the equation is now brutally clean: bring the response they found after halftime, not the sleepwalk that came before it.