WNBA Finals schedule: Valkyries lead Dream 1-0 after Game 1 win
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Golden State beat Atlanta 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on October 17.
- Gabby Williams scored 26 points and hit six late free throws to seal the win.
- Game 2 is Monday, October 19, at 8 PM ET. The series can run to seven games.
The Golden State Valkyries lead the WNBA Finals 1-0. They beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 on Saturday, October 17. Gabby Williams scored 26 points to lead the win.
The game was played at Chase Center in San Francisco. Golden State now needs three more wins to take the title. Atlanta needs four wins to come back and win it all.
It is a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games takes the title. Game 2 is on Monday, October 19.
This article explains what happened in Game 1. It also lists the full schedule for the rest of the series.
What happened
Game 1 was a defensive battle. Both teams are known for strong defense. The score stayed close for most of the game.
Atlanta led by three points with just over three minutes left. The Dream did not score again after that point. Golden State closed the game on a 7-0 run.
That run gave the Valkyries the 68-64 win. It also gave them a 1-0 lead in the series.
Gabby Williams was the star of the game. She scored 26 points for Golden State. She made six free throws in the final 2:15.
Free throws are unguarded shots from the foul line. Williams stayed calm at the line late in the game. Her free throws turned a close game into a win.
She scored 16 of her points in the second quarter. She made three 3-point shots in that period.
The start was rough for Golden State. Atlanta closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run. That run turned a 14-11 deficit into a 22-14 lead.
Angel Reese led the early push for Atlanta. She scored 11 points in the first quarter. She made five of her six shots in that period.
But she did not make another field goal after that. Reese finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Golden State fought back in the second quarter. The Valkyries outscored Atlanta 28-17 in that period. They took a 42-39 lead into halftime.
But the third quarter was a problem for Golden State. The Valkyries scored just nine points in that quarter. Atlanta took a 56-51 lead into the fourth quarter.
The finish was all defense. Atlanta scored just eight points in the final period. The Dream did not make a field goal after 4:23 left in the game.
Their last field goal was a jumper by Jordin Canada. After that, Atlanta missed shot after shot. Rhyne Howard made two free throws to give Atlanta a 64-61 lead.
Those were the last points Atlanta scored.
One big play changed the game. Golden State trailed 62-59 at that point. Veronica Burton blocked a layup by Jordin Canada.
On the same play, Kiah Stokes blocked Angel Reese. Tiffany Hayes grabbed the rebound. She passed to Williams for a fast layup.
That cut the deficit to one point with 3:22 left. Stokes finished the game with four blocks.
Atlanta had chances to steal the win. Reese stole the ball from Williams twice in the final 1:41. But Atlanta scored no points on either chance.
Allisha Gray missed a layup after the first steal. Naz Hillmon missed a three-point shot after the second steal. Stokes split two free throws with 23.8 seconds left.
That made the score 66-64. Gray then missed a shot that could have put Atlanta ahead. Williams made two more free throws with 4.1 seconds left.
That sealed the 68-64 win.
Golden State coach Natalie Nakase was not happy at halftime.
"We were sleeping the whole first quarter," Nakase said at the break. She added: "Our defense is terrible right now!"
Her team answered with strong defense late. The Valkyries held Atlanta scoreless for the last three minutes. That defense won them Game 1.
Why it matters
This Finals series will crown a first-time champion. Both teams are chasing their first WNBA title. That is what makes this series special.
One of these two teams will lift the trophy for the first time.
Golden State is in only its second season. The Valkyries reached the Finals fast. They finished the regular season with a 32-12 record.
That means they won 32 games and lost 12. They swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. That means they won every game in the series.
They also won the regular-season series against Atlanta 3-0. Game 1 showed they can win a close game.
Atlanta has waited a long time for this stage. The Dream are in their fourth Finals. Their last Finals trip was in 2013.
They have never won a title. They finished the regular season with a 30-14 record. That was the best record in team history.
They swept the New York Liberty in the semifinals. The Liberty were the 2025 champions. Atlanta beat them in three straight games.
The Dream also have the Defensive Player of the Year. That player is Angel Reese. The award goes to the best defender in the league.
Reese won it on October 1. Defense is the identity of both teams. The Valkyries led the league in defense all season.
The Dream finished third in that measure. Game 1 lived up to that billing. Both teams scored few points after halftime.
The two teams scored just 51 points combined after the break.
The series is also the second-ever WNBA Finals to use a best-of-seven format. The league changed the format from five games to seven last year. A longer series gives both teams more time to adjust.
What happens next
Game 2 is on Monday, October 19. The game starts at 8 PM ET. That is Eastern Time.
It will be played at Chase Center in San Francisco. Fans can watch it on USA Network and Peacock. Peacock carries every game in the series.
Atlanta needs a win to tie the series. A loss would put the Dream down 2-0. That would be a deep hole.
Golden State wants to protect its home court. Two home wins would give the Valkyries a strong grip on the series.
The series then moves to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is on Wednesday, October 21, at 8 PM ET. Game 4 is on Saturday, October 24, at 1 PM ET.
Both games will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. That is a big arena. It holds far more fans than the Dream's usual home.
The Dream's usual home is a small arena. The league moved Games 3 and 4 to the bigger arena. More fans can watch the games live.
We covered that move in an earlier report. Read about Games 3 and 4 moving to State Farm Arena. The venue for Game 6 is still to be decided.
The WNBA lists it as to be decided.
If the series needs more games, it will go on. Game 5 is set for Monday, October 26, at 8 PM ET. Game 6 is set for Thursday, October 29, at 8 PM ET.
Game 7 is set for Saturday, October 31, at 8 PM ET. Games 5 and 7 would be played at Chase Center. Those games happen only if needed.
The full schedule is listed below. All times are Eastern Time.
- Game 1: Saturday, October 17, 3:30 PM ET. Golden State won 68-64. Shown on NBC and Peacock.
- Game 2: Monday, October 19, 8 PM ET. Atlanta at Golden State. Shown on USA Network and Peacock.
- Game 3: Wednesday, October 21, 8 PM ET. Golden State at Atlanta. Shown on USA Network and Peacock.
- Game 4: Saturday, October 24, 1 PM ET. Golden State at Atlanta. Shown on NBC and Peacock.
- Game 5 (if needed): Monday, October 26, 8 PM ET. Atlanta at Golden State. Shown on USA Network and Peacock.
- Game 6 (if needed): Thursday, October 29, 8 PM ET. Golden State at Atlanta. Shown on USA Network and Peacock.
- Game 7 (if needed): Saturday, October 31, 8 PM ET. Atlanta at Golden State. Shown on USA Network and Peacock.
Atlanta's big question is offense. The Dream scored just eight points in the fourth quarter of Game 1. They need more scoring from their stars.
Gray led them with 19 points in Game 1. Howard and Reese need to add more. Golden State's big question is pace.
The Valkyries scored just nine points in the third quarter. They need steadier scoring across all four quarters. But their defense is their base.
Fans can also follow the wider basketball world while the Finals run. The NBA season start for 2026-27 explains how to watch the men's league. And Caitlin Clark's NBA 2K27 cover shows one more sign of the sport's growth.
Golden State leads the series 1-0 after a 68-64 win. The Valkyries won with defense and late free throws. Atlanta will try to answer in Game 2 on Monday.
The Dream need a win to tie the series before it moves to Atlanta. The Finals will crown a first-time champion either way. The next game tips off at 8 PM ET on Monday.
Watch it on USA Network or Peacock.
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