The WNBA championship will be decided on Halloween when the Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream in the league's first Finals Game 7. Saturday's game at Chase Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, with both franchises pursuing their first title after Atlanta pulled even at 3-3 in the series.
The Dream forced the deciding game by beating Golden State 80-69 on Thursday at State Farm Arena. Atlanta scored 32 points in the opening quarter and led by as many as 25. The Valkyries cut the deficit to eight late in the game, but their comeback was not enough to close out the series. Each team has recorded two home victories and one road win.
The Finals expanded to a best-of-seven series last season, when the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury. This year's matchup has brought the second-seeded Valkyries within one victory of a championship in their second season. The fourth-seeded Dream were swept in each of their three previous trips to the Finals.
Golden State coach Natalie Nakase described her team's start to Game 6 as "unacceptable." Guard Veronica Burton emphasized the response to the large deficit, pointing to a fightback that had been missing from the Valkyries' earlier defeats. Golden State previously recovered from losses in Games 2 and 3 by winning the next two games, following candid discussions among players about their mistakes and accountability.
Atlanta's scoring has tracked the outcome throughout the series: The Dream have exceeded 70 points in all three wins and finished below that mark in every loss. After Thursday's victory, point guard Jordin Canada said Atlanta had deliberately pushed the pace, moved the ball and spread the floor. Coach Karl Smesko said each team gains an advantage when it can impose its preferred tempo.
Allisha Gray scored 23 points in Game 6 after totaling 15 across Atlanta's losses in Games 4 and 5. The four-time All-Star ranked ninth in regular-season scoring and averaged 22.0 points in the first round. A finger/hand injury in the opening game of the semifinals kept her out for the remainder of that series. Rhyne Howard has also contributed consistently, scoring in double figures in all but one Finals game and combining for 41 points in the past two.
For Golden State, three-time champion Kiah Stokes played only 20 minutes Thursday as Nakase gave Laeticia Amihere her first meaningful playing time since Game 1. Nakase said Amihere was moving her legs better. Atlanta's Angel Reese finished with 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting and added six assists.
Golden State has won two of the three Finals games at Chase Center. Reese said Atlanta's experience there, including a victory, would help prepare the team for Saturday's atmosphere. Previous deciding games offer some historical encouragement for the hosts: Of the eight WNBA Finals that reached Game 5 under the former format, six were won by the home team.
