The WNBA Finals will have a do-or-die Game 7 for the first time. The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 at home on Thursday in Game 6, denying Golden State a chance to clinch its first championship and pushing the series back to the West Coast for Saturday's decider.
Atlanta seized control early, building a double-digit lead in the opening stages and never surrendering it. Allisha Gray paced the Dream with 23 points, Rhyne Howard added 21, and Angel Reese turned in another double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Gabby Williams led all scorers with 26 points for the Valkyries, but it was not enough to overcome a rough shooting night for Golden State, which converted just 31% of its attempts from the field.
Both finalists arrived at this stage by sweeping their semifinal series. Atlanta eliminated the New York Liberty, while Golden State knocked out the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. In the opening round, the Dream dispatched the Washington Mystics, and the Valkyries needed all three games to get past the Dallas Wings. The Finals are being played as a best-of-seven series for only the second season in league history.
The championship series has swung back and forth. Golden State took Game 1 with a 68-64 win on Oct. 17, but Atlanta answered with victories of 79-65 in Game 2 and 97-71 in Game 3. The Valkyries then captured Games 4 and 5, 67-62 and 64-55, to move within one win of the title before the Dream responded on Thursday night.
The 2026 season has been a landmark one for the league on and off the court. It began in the wake of a contentious and extended labor fight that produced a historic raise for players, with the salary cap jumping from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026. The players responded by elevating the game week after week.
Several regular-season records fell along the way. Clark became the first player in WNBA history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game, Reese set a new single-game rebounding mark with 26, and Kelsey Mitchell surpassed A'ja Wilson's single-season scoring record.
Everything now comes down to Game 7 on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Valkyries host the Dream at 8 p.m. Eastern. The game will air on USA and stream on fubo. One team will leave the floor as champion, with Atlanta chasing a title to cap its postseason run and Golden State looking to finish the job in front of its home crowd.
