SAN FRANCISCO — The WNBA will have a new champion.
The No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries and No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream will face off in the 2026 WNBA Finals, with each franchise's first championship in sight. The Valkyries are making their first Finals appearance in their second year of existence, while the Dream is making their fourth appearance and first since 2013.
Each team's journey to the WNBA Finals was bolstered by a key offseason addition. The Valkyries added Gabby Williams in free agency, while the Dream traded for Angel Reese. Both players earned WNBA All-Star nods. Reese was named the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, while Williams finished as the runner-up.
"It is a huge reason why I signed here. I wanted to go to a team that
would have a winning culture and to have a winning culture, you have to have unselfish and great teammates," said Williams, who's leading the Valkyries in scoring (22.7 points per game), assists (4.0) and steals (1.7) through six playoff games. "I said it from the day I got here, that I believe that this was a team that would contend."
Similarly, Reese said she wanted to come to Atlanta to help the Dream "finish the job."
"Even though this is my first playoffs, I'm ready," added Reese, who's averaging 18 points and 8.4 rebounds in the postseason. "The confidence (my teammates) put into me, I think it makes it really easy."
The Valkyries won all three regular-season games against the Dream, but their last meeting was on July 4. "We're two very different teams than the last time that we played," Valkyries' Veronica Burton said.
All eyes will be on the injury status of Dream guard Allisha Gray, who underwent a minor procedure on the left hand she injured during Game 1 of the Dream's semifinal sweep of the New York Liberty. Gray subsequently missed two playoff games with the injury, but she said she's "day-to-day" heading into the WNBA Finals.
USA TODAY Sports is on the ground for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, providing live updates and highlights of the matchup between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream in San Francisco. Here's what you need to know:
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2026 WNBA Finals schedule
06:00 AM ET, October 17 2026, Cydney Henderson- Saturday, Oct. 17, Game 1: Atlanta at Golden State | 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
- Monday, Oct. 19, Game 2: Atlanta at Golden State | 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC)
- Wednesday, Oct. 21, Game 3: Golden State at Atlanta | 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC)
- Saturday, Oct. 24, Game 4: Golden State at Atlanta | 1 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
- *Monday, Oct. 26, Game 5: Atlanta at Golden State | 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC)
- *Thursday, Oct. 29, Game 6: Golden State at Atlanta | 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC)
- *Saturday, Oct. 31, Game 7: Atlanta at Golden State | 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC)
- * If necessary
What time is Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream?
06:00 AM ET, October 17 2026, Cydney HendersonThe No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries play the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT)
- Location: Chase Center (San Francisco)
WNBA Finals, Game 1: TV channel, streaming
06:00 AM ET, October 17 2026, Cydney HendersonGame 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream on Saturday, Oct. 17, will be broadcast on NBC. The contest can also be streamed on Peacock.
- Channel: NBC
- Stream: Peacock
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream in WNBA Finals: Time, TV, how to watch
