The Golden State Valkyries find themselves just one more victory from a title. Locked in a series with the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals, head coach Natalie Nakase’s team needs to find a way to let go of a rough performance. After starting the series with a nail-biting 68-64-win, Golden State could win their first league championship.

In Game 6, Atlanta raced to a 32-15 first-quarter lead and led by as many as 25 points. A recently retired ESPN icon offered her opinion regarding Golden State’s play.

Former ESPN Analyst Linda Cohn Slams Valkyries for Game 6 Loss

Less than a minute into the game, Golden State scored the game’s first point. However, the lead did not last long. Atlanta’s Allisha Gray made a three-pointer with 9:04 left in the first quarter, giving the game its first and last lead change. Golden State struggled all game, losing 80-69.

Linda Cohn, who spent over three decades at ESPN, criticized the Valkyries for their performance.

“Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, they were amazing. They came out firing for Atlanta. And the Valkyries had very few answers. They looked lost,” Cohn said.

Gray scored eight first-quarter points. The Dream connected on 73.3% of their field goals, including 75% from beyond the arc. Rhyne Howard tallied six points in the first stanza. Meanwhile, Golden State made only five baskets during the quarter. Atlanta held a 32-15 lead to start the second. Cohn pointed out that erasing a large lead isn’t the Valkyries’ forte.

“That is an enormous hole to dig out from, especially when you’re not known for any kind of high-powered offense and you’re trying to close out a championship against a desperate team in Atlanta playing at home,”

In front of a capacity crowd, the Dream set a pace and used their physicality to force the Valkyries to play from behind, something they struggled with during the season. Dream star Angel Reese finished the game with 15 points,14 rebounds, and six assists, providing Atlanta interior scoring and toughness on the defensive boards.

Cohn placed some of the blame on Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase for letting the Dream build what looked like an insurmountable lead early.

“And why didn’t Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase call a timeout in that first quarter? Were you thinking that? Cuz I was. Didn’t she notice the Valkyries were sleepwalking through the first quarter? Call a timeout. Get them together. Change something. Settle them down. Wake them up.”

According to Basketball Reference, the Dream made shots from various places. Nakase preaches a defense that starts from the perimeter in. If the Valkyries crashed down into the paint, Atlanta’s outside shooting made them pay. To win, Cohn estimates, the Valkyries need to improve in every aspect, citing the home crowd as a potential motivating factor.

“Golden State has to give those fans though something, anything to cheer about from the opening tip because let me tell you something, the Dream will be ready,”

The Valkyries are a defensive team that loves to engage in low-scoring battles of attrition. Meanwhile, the Dream can push the pace with diversified scoring and an interior presence on both ends of the court.

The Valkyries will have home court at Chase Center for Saturday night’s winner-take-all Game 7, with both franchises seeking their first championship.