WNBA Finals Basketball
Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko speaks at a press conference before the WNBA Finals Game 1 between Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.
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The Golden State Valkyries are hoping to clinch their first WNBA championship as they take a 3-2 series lead over the Atlanta Dream into Game 6 of the Finals. Coach Natalie Nakase says her players are ready despite the 12:30 p.m. EDT tipoff, which is a 9:30 a.m. start in California. The Valkyries’ strong finish in the series came after Nakase tweaked her lineup for a 67-62 Game 4 win. Nakase added Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the lineup. Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Landalasini came off the bench. The new starting five produced a 64-55 win in Game 5.
