The Golden State Valkyries needed a response in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, and they got one. After losing Games 2 and 3, they beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on Saturday at State Farm Arena to tie the series at 2-2. Several players stepped up, but one guard took a lot of hits to get the job done. That guard was Veronica Burton, and HC  Natalie Nakase made sure everyone knew how much she valued her after the game.

“Man, I think she’s our heart and soul of the team. I mean, she was getting knocked on the face, and I was checking her. Like, it was amazing,” Nakase said.

Burton played 38 minutes, the most of anyone in the game, much of it in foul trouble, and she kept hitting the floor and taking shots to the face. The game was physical on both ends. Atlanta went to the free-throw line 31 times to Golden State’s 13, while Allisha Gray and Isobel Borlase each picked up five fouls for the Dream. Nakase said Burton kept brushing off her checks. 

“She just kept saying, I’m good, I’m good. And I mean, probably like 10 times she probably got knocked down,” Nakase said.

This was not the first time Burton took a hard hit in this series. In Game 1, Angel Reese came from behind to block her layup and hit her in the face. Burton fell to the floor holding her face, and no foul was called. WNBA reporter Madisyn Cunningham wrote on X that Burton took a hard shot to the mouth on the play. Nakase said that kind of toughness is what defines her.

“That girl’s resilient. She’s literally our leader in terms of like never quit, fall down, get back up. You know, things are not going our way, it’s all right,” Nakase said.

Her teammates feel what Burton brings, too. After the Valkyries beat the Phoenix Mercury 87-81 in June, Gabby Williams spoke about the bond between the two guards and how Burton knows how to reach her.

“She knows what to say to me to help motivate me,” Williams said.

The two scored 25 points each in that win. In Game 4, with the series on the line, Burton was once again the one who stepped up. 

Veronica Burton’s Clutch Shot Helps Valkyries Tie WNBA Finals

The Dream kept pushing in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to six points with 4:49 left. Burton answered with a three-pointer that put Golden State back up by nine, and she went on to score the team’s last six points.

In the final minute, the Dream missed two shots that could have cut into the lead, and Burton made them pay with a mid-range jumper to make it 66-59. Rhyne Howard scored on a three-point play to cut it to four. Burton then made one of two free throws to make it 67-62. Atlanta missed two threes after that, and the game was over.

Nakase said that finish was what mattered most.

“And I think what was really key tonight is, I think she finished with that shot. She said, I got it. You know, I got the isolation,” Nakase said. “And she just attacked her matchup and closed it. It really calmed us down. So yeah, just credit to her resilience and her fight.”

Burton finished with 13 points, five assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks, even though she shot just 4-of-17 from the field.

Her late shots capped a game Golden State controlled from early on. The Valkyries had lost Game 2 by 14 points and Game 3 by 26, so Nakase changed her starting lineup before Game 4. The move worked early, as the Valkyries led 16-11 after the first quarter and 42-26 at halftime.

Golden State now heads back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday with the series tied at 2-2. After a game where she kept getting back up, Burton and the Valkyries will look to take the lead in front of their home fans.