The Golden State Valkyries walked into Game 6 looking to close the door and secure the very first championship in franchise history. But the Atlanta Dream absolutely flipped the script, blitzing Golden State with a huge 80-69 victory to keep their season alive and force a Game 7. The game started at an unusual time due to scheduling issues, but for Natalie Nakase, the timing had nothing to do with the game’s bearing.

The game tipped off at an unusually early 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. local time for the Bay Area), but head coach Natalie Nakase firmly dismissed the notion that the morning start time played a role in the outcome.

“It just more frustrated me, really,” Nakase said. “Just unacceptable of our poor start. So it was just more frustration.”

Atlanta’s explosive start caught the Valkyries by surprise. By the end of the first quarter, Golden State trailed 32-15. Atlanta dictated the opening 10 minutes with their offensive display, shooting 11-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Conversely, Golden State struggled to find its rhythm out of the gate, shooting just 5-of-17 while committing four turnovers, which the Dream promptly converted into eight points.

“I can’t speak for them other than we knew that they were going to be desperate,” Nakase said, while mentioning that her team failed to match Atlanta’s intensity in the game.

“So, like I said, I put that on me of, like, what did I not say? What did I not get to my team of the sense of urgency that we knew they were going to play? They’re going to play desperate. They’re going to play like their life depends on it. And for us not to match that is disappointing and frustrating. And so, yeah, I need to make sure my team is prepared.”

And it’s not just about the way the Valkyries started the game. They struggled with aspects that have defined them in this series. With a staggering nine blocks in Game 5, Golden State pushed its series total to 37, eclipsing the all-time mark for the most blocks by any team in a single Finals. But that towering defensive wall cracked on Thursday night, as the squad managed just a pair of rejections in Game 6.

Atlanta’s improved shooting efficiency also played its part in the win. They shot 27 of 62 from the field, registering an FG% of 43.5, and went 13 of 30 from beyond the arc. The Valkyries could only convert 22 of their 70 shots from the field, and their 3P% was only 25.9.

“This is the Finals, right?” said Nakase. “The physicality is supposed to be ramped up. These are win-or-die. This is do or die. This is it. And so you want to have that type of, again, two defensive teams. You want to have that physicality. You want to have that fight. You want to lay it all out there. So that’s what the Finals is about, is just to be empty-the-tank mentality. And we didn’t do that tonight.”

Nakase and Co. perhaps can find some solace in the fact that history strongly favors the home team heading into the decisive Game 7. According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the WNBA Finals have come down to a winner-take-all game on 13 previous occasions, with the home team securing the championship in 11 of those instances.

As the Valkyries prepare to host the Dream in the 14th deciding game in league history, one can say that this overwhelming historical precedent provides a statistical edge for Golden State. It must be noted that the WNBA switched to a best-of-seven format only last year.

Atlanta wouldn’t care, though. They have reached this stage despite not having home-court advantage and did not let the uncertainty surrounding the logistics of Game 6 affect their game.

“The job is not done, and I’m looking forward to it,” Angel Reese said after the game. “One more.”

The stage is set for an unprecedented finale. With the series tied 3-3, Golden State returns home to the Chase Center in San Francisco this Saturday to host a winner-take-all showdown, the first-ever Game 7 in Finals history.