WNBA Finals Basketball
Atlanta Dream's Rhyne Howard, top, and Golden State Valkyries' Tiffany Hayes battle for the ball during the second half of Game 6 of the WNBA basketball finals on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Atlanta.
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Gray scores 23 points to help hot-shooting Dream beat Valkyries 80-69 to force Game 7 of WNBA Finals
Allisha Gray scored 23 points and Rhyne Howard had 21 as the hot-shooting Atlanta Dream held off Golden State’s late rally to take an 80-69 victory over the Valkyries in Game 6 to pull even in the WNBA Finals. The decisive Game 7 will be played at Golden State on Saturday night as each team seeks its first WNBA championship. After having their lowest scoring games of the Finals in losses in Games 4 and 5, the Dream enjoyed an offensive awakening when faced with the must-win mandate. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points. Tiffany Hayes added 15.
There should be no problem with the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream approaching the first WNBA Finals Game 7 in league history with a sense of urgency. Then again, that’s what Golden State coach Natalie Nakase thought about Game 6. She was baffled that her team somehow left behind its defensive intensity at the start of Thursday’s 80-69 loss to the Dream that forced Game 7 at “Ballhalla” in San Francisco on Saturday night. Nakase was still struggling to comprehend the lackadaisical start so she could make sure it’s not repeated in Saturday night’s decisive game.
