The Golden State Valkyries reached the WNBA Finals and will host the Atlanta Dream for Game 1 on October 17. Their route included a deciding first-round game and a semifinal sweep.

An expansion milestone

Golden State joined the WNBA in 2025 and became the first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. In 2026, it became the only expansion franchise to reach the Finals in its second year, according to the team’s announcement.

The Valkyries entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed. The WNBA sends the top eight teams to the playoffs regardless of conference. The first round is best-of-three, the semifinals are best-of-five and the Finals are best-of-seven.

A two-step timeline shows YEAR ONE leading to PLAYOFFS and YEAR TWO leading to FINALS.
The Valkyries reached the playoffs in their inaugural 2025 season and earned a Finals berth in their second season; the 2026 Finals had not begun when this graphic was made.

Dallas pushed the first round to a decider

Golden State opened against Dallas with a 104-80 win. It scored 37 points in the second quarter, a franchise high, and tied a team record with 18 three-pointers, according to the Valkyries’ Game 1 recap.

Dallas forced a deciding game with a 108-100 overtime win. Arike Ogunbowale scored a WNBA playoff-record 45 points, including the three-pointer that tied the score with 4.1 seconds left. The WNBA’s recap records the finish.

The Valkyries answered in Game 3, winning 77-73 after trailing by 16 in the second half. That completed the 2-1 series win. The official bracket records the result; the league’s Game 3 recap describes the comeback.

Las Vegas was swept in the semifinals

Golden State beat the defending champion Aces 71-60 in Game 1 and 83-81 in Game 2. The Game 1 win also set a franchise-high 52 rebounds and held Las Vegas to its season-low 60 points, according to the team recap. The deciding Game 3 went to overtime, where the Valkyries won 87-77 to complete a 3-0 sweep. Golden State forced overtime with a 17-0 third-quarter run and an 8-0 run in the fourth.

Atlanta returns after a long gap

The Dream swept the New York Liberty. Atlanta opened with a 92-82 Game 1 win and closed with an 85-83 Game 3 victory. New York led 68-66 entering the fourth quarter after Atlanta’s 12-point third-quarter lead disappeared. In the final minute, DeWanna Bonner secured a rebound and made two free throws; New York’s last basket came at the buzzer. The Dream’s recap records the finish and says Atlanta is back in the Finals for the first time since 2013.

The Dream’s earlier Finals appearances were in 2010, 2011 and 2013, and the franchise had not won a championship, according to the league’s franchise guide. Atlanta enters as the No. 4 seed; Golden State opens at home.

The Finals schedule

The championship is a best-of-seven series: the first team to four wins takes the title. The 2-2-1-1-1 home-court pattern gives Golden State Games 1 and 2, Atlanta Games 3 and 4, with later games alternating if needed.

All times below are Pacific Time. Game 1 is Saturday, October 17 at 12:30 p.m. at Chase Center in San Francisco, on NBC and Peacock. Game 2 is Monday, October 19 at 5 p.m. at Chase Center, on USA and Peacock.

The series moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday, October 22 at 5 p.m. and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24 at 12:30 p.m. If needed, Game 5 is October 26 at 5 p.m. in San Francisco, Game 6 is October 29 at 5 p.m. in Atlanta, and Game 7 is October 31 at 5 p.m. at Chase Center. The official schedule lists the away-game venue as to be determined. These remain scheduled games; the Finals have not started.