SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream tipped off Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center, launching a best-of-seven series that will crown a first-time champion.
Golden State, an expansion team playing in just its second season after debuting in 2025, holds home-court advantage as the No. 2 seed. Atlanta enters as the No. 4 seed looking to reverse a difficult Finals history, having been swept in all three of its previous appearances in the title round, ESPN reported.
Contrasting paths to the championship
The Valkyries posted the league’s top home record during the regular season, finishing 17-5 in San Francisco, and entered Saturday having won six consecutive games at Chase Center, according to ESPN. Golden State reached the Finals by eliminating the Dallas Wings in the opening round before sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, The Big Lead reported. Forward Gabby Williams has paced Golden State’s balanced offense, complementing a defense that ranked as the best in the league this season, according to Sports Illustrated.
Atlanta arrived in the Bay Area riding a 10-game winning streak. After winning its final five regular-season contests, the Dream posted a 5-0 record through the first two playoff rounds, sweeping the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty, The Big Lead reported. Atlanta’s postseason run has been propelled by Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese, who averaged 18.0 points per game in the playoffs, alongside Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada, who each averaged 19.2 points, according to The Big Lead.
Sports Illustrated reported that Atlanta’s late-season surge coincided with the late-August signing of veteran DeWanna Bonner. The Dream have gone 10-0 in games Bonner has played, transforming the roster into a potent mix of experience and young talent.
Head-to-head history and officiating debate
Golden State swept the three-game regular-season series between the two clubs. The Valkyries earned a pair of home victories in late June, winning 77-66 and 78-75, before taking an 88-83 decision in Atlanta on July 4, Sports Illustrated reported. The Dream averaged just 74.7 points across those three contests, their lowest scoring rate against any opponent during the season.
However, the teams had not faced each other in more than three months, and neither squad had played since completing semifinal sweeps on Oct. 9, ESPN noted.
The build-up to the series also drew attention when the WNBA announced its referee assignments two days before Game 1, HITC reported. The inclusion of official Kevin Fahy sparked online criticism from fans following a disputed timeout interaction involving New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart during the semifinals. Following that game, the league issued a statement acknowledging that multiple conversations created “a misunderstanding amongst the various parties” and noted referees had received feedback.
Defending the selection process, WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin said in a statement that the chosen officials had “earned the right to represent the WNBA and their profession on the ultimate stage,” calling the assignment a reflection of regular-season and career accomplishments, HITC reported.
Under the Finals’ 2-2-1-1-1 format, Chase Center will host Games 1 and 2, as well as Games 5 and 7 if needed, as both clubs battle to capture the franchise’s first trophy.
