Golden State Valkyries win first WNBA Finals game, 68-64 over Atlanta Dream
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The gist
Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 for their first WNBA Finals win.
The best-of-seven series continues Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Background
The Golden State Valkyries are a WNBA team playing their home games at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Atlanta Dream are their opponent in the 2026 WNBA Finals, a best-of-seven championship series. The Valkyries reached the Finals on Oct 10 and opened the series at home. The matchup pits the league's best regular-season defense (the Valkyries) against the Dream, who were third in defensive rating and led the league in steals per game.
How it unfolded
- Oct 10, 2026The Golden State Valkyries advance to the 2026 WNBA Finals.
- Oct 14, 2026WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 are announced for October 21 and October 24 at State Farm Arena.
- Oct 17, 2026The Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 at Chase Center, taking a 1-0 series lead with the first WNBA Finals game win in franchise history.
- Oct 17, 2026Gabby Williams leads all scorers with 26 points, finishing +16 in 33 minutes, and Kiah Stokes ties a playoff high with four blocks.
- Oct 17, 2026Allisha Gray returns from a hand injury to lead the Dream with 19 points; the Valkyries close the game on a late run, and Williams appears to injure her left knee in the fourth quarter when Jordin Canada crashes into her after a free-throw attempt.
- Oct 19, 2026Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at Chase Center, 5 p.m. PT, on NBC/Peacock.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Gabby Williams said that even though the Valkyries were down with a few minutes left, they had the game where they wanted it because it came down to getting stops, calling that their bread and butter all season.
- Coach
- Head coach Natalie Nakase called it a rough shooting night for Tiffany Hayes but praised her effort, saying "She's a fighter" and "She really wants this."