SAN FRANCISCO — Going into Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase had a request for the fans: Get hostile.
The ultra-competitive Nakase wanted boos when the starting lineups were announced, when the opposing team called a challenge or pretty much any other time there was an opportunity to unleash their wrath.
Which was funny, in part, because that isn’t really in the fans’ nature.
With their lavender wigs, sparkly accessories and witty, culturally aware signs, Valkyries fans come to Ballhalla — all 18,000 of them, every game — to uphold the WNBA’s original spirit of inclusivity.
Asking Valkyries fans to boo their opponents is kind of like asking point guard Veronica Burton, naturally positive and encouraging, to cuss out her teammates. They’ll do it if you ask, but they eventually will go back to being themselves.
Valkyries fans are loud, loyal and present. But what they ultimately want, in their heart of hearts, is to cheer for their team, rather than against the opponent.
They got that chance Saturday, when the Valkyries won the first Finals game in franchise history 68-64.
The matchup between two defensive teams was, as many expected, a grind. The first half for the Valkyries was all hustle and smoked layups until All-Star Gabby Williams scored 16 points in the second quarter and took the lid off the rim.
‘‘At this point in the season and in the Finals, Gabby is one of the best players in the world — like, hands down,’’ Nakase said. ‘‘She’s showing that when we need buckets, she’s willing to . . . get to her spots and take over.’’
For the Valkyries’ offense to get going the rest of the series — and for the homecourt advantage to flourish fully — they need to shoot better from deep. The home crowd has been conditioned to feed on the deep ball, but the Valkyries made only seven of their 33 three-point attempts Saturday, and Williams was 3-for-11.
The other missing piece was the Valkyries’ depth. Aside from Williams, who finished with 26 points, no member of the supporting cast scored in double digits.
After the game, however, Nakase didn’t seem rattled. It was just another day of the Valkyries’ grind. They got timely stops. They made the right adjustment on Dream forward Angel Reese, who scored 11 points in the first quarter but nothing in the second half. All-Defensive center Kiah Stokes had some key blocks on Reese, but Nakase said reserve forward Laeticia Amihere also deserved credit.
‘‘We know it’s effort,’’ Nakase said. ‘‘We know it’s the details. I thought our staff did a great job calling when to switch the coverage, how to finish the coverage. We did a great job studying their plays.
‘‘I thought it was really good that we told them in the timeout, ‘This is what we want to do.’ Then we asked, ‘Are you guys in agreement with what you want to do?’ And we go out and execute.’’
And to hear the players tell it, they weren’t shaking in their boots, either. Williams made all six of her free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
‘‘Even though we were down with a few minutes left, I think we had the game right where we wanted it,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Because it just came down to getting stops, and that’s been our bread-and-butter all season. That’s why we harp on it so much. We’ve built great defensive habits for these moments.’’
Meanwhile, the crowd tried its darndest to lean into Nakase’s instructions, comfortably booing the officials throughout the game, gaining confidence in their ‘‘Ref, you suck’’ chants and occasionally booing the Dream’s players.
Did they live up to Nakase’s challenge?
‘‘I think so,’’ she said. ‘‘Once I get out there and start to write my notes on the board, I kind of actually block everything out. But I did feel a different roar. So, yeah, I was excited. They were really screaming when [the Dream] got announced. So great job.’’
Still, she’s always checking to see whether you’ve got a little more left in the tank.
‘‘But, hey, level up,’’ she said. ‘‘Like, [for] Game 2, it has to be better. We’re gonna ask more from our players. So I’d say, ‘Check for Game 1, let’s get a better Game 2.’ So rest and recover, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight.’’