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One Game for Everything: Dream and Valkyries Meet Tonight in the First Game 7 in WNBA Finals History

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Atlanta Dream players Allisha Gray, Angel Reese and their teammates celebrate on the court during Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena
Allisha Gray, Angel Reese and the Dream celebrate in Game 6. (Atlanta Dream)

Forty minutes of basketball will decide a championship tonight, and the WNBA has never seen anything like it.

The Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries meet at Chase Center in San Francisco tonight at 8 p.m. ET in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals, the first Game 7 in the history of the league’s championship series. The game airs on USA Network and CNBC and streams on Peacock.

The Finals only moved to a best of seven format last season, and last year’s series ended in a sweep. This one refused to end. Atlanta forced tonight’s winner take all game with an 80-69 win in Game 6 on Thursday afternoon at State Farm Arena, jumping on Golden State from the opening tip with a 32-point first quarter and a lead that grew to 25 in the first half.

Allisha Gray led the Dream with 23 points and six rebounds in Game 6. Rhyne Howard added 21 points, and Angel Reese powered through the paint for 14 points and 14 rebounds as Atlanta tied the series at three games apiece.

The road here has swung both ways. Golden State took Game 1 at home, 68-64. Atlanta stole Game 2 in San Francisco, then rolled to a 97-71 win in Game 3. The Valkyries answered, and their 64-55 win in Game 5 pushed the Dream to the edge of elimination before Thursday’s answer sent the series the full distance.

Everything about tonight is a first. Neither franchise has ever won a WNBA championship. Atlanta is playing in its fourth Finals after falling short in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Golden State is doing this in just the second season in franchise history, in front of the home crowd its fans call Ballhalla.

If the first six games are the guide, tonight turns on the ball. Every game in this series has been decided by turnovers and the points that come off them, and the team that protects the ball tonight most likely lifts the trophy.

History leans toward the home team in winner take all Finals games, but the Dream have already won once in this building in Game 2, and the No. 4 seed has played free all series with nothing to protect. Karl Smesko’s group is one win from the first title in Atlanta Dream history.

We Speak Media will have full postgame coverage tonight as soon as a champion is crowned.

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Dream Force Game 7: Atlanta Beats Golden State 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals

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2 days ago

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October 29, 2026

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Atlanta Dream player Angel Reese in a red Atlanta jersey over a black shirt, shown in profile on the court with her ponytail flowing and one hand raised in celebration.

The Atlanta Dream are not done yet.

Facing elimination in front of a sold-out State Farm Arena, Atlanta beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals on Thursday, tying the series 3-3 and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7.

Atlanta set the tone in the first quarter and never gave it back. The Dream outscored Golden State 32-15 in the opening period, the most points either team has scored in a quarter in these Finals, hitting six 3-pointers in the frame. Atlanta kept pushing in the second quarter, outscoring the Valkyries 14-11 to take a 46-26 lead into halftime, the largest halftime lead of the series. The Dream led by as many as 25 points.

Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, with two steals and three blocks. Gray, who has played through a hand injury in this series, said at halftime that she was not ready for her season to be over, and she closed the game like it, hitting a 3-pointer off an Angel Reese assist with 56 seconds left to push the lead back to 80-69 after Golden State had cut it to eight.

Rhyne Howard added 21 points, four rebounds and four assists, making four 3-pointers. Reese finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for her fourth double-double of the series. Reese hit two 3-pointers, and after her second, a catch-and-shoot triple that made it 74-55 in the fourth quarter, she celebrated with her tongue out and three fingers up on each hand. Jordin Canada added 10 points, and Naz Hillmon had seven points and five rebounds. Atlanta made 13 3-pointers as a team and shot 43.3 percent from deep.

Golden State won both the third quarter, 21-17, and the fourth, 22-17, and kept chipping away behind Gabby Williams. Williams scored a game-high 26 points with three rebounds, three steals and seven made free throws, doing most of her damage after halftime. Tiffany Hayes added 15 points for the Valkyries, Cecilia Zandalasini scored nine, and Veronica Burton had eight points, six rebounds and four assists. Kiah Stokes, the Game 5 standout, was held scoreless with seven rebounds as Golden State shot just 31.4 percent from the field.

The series is now tied 3-3. Game 7 is Saturday, October 31 at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco, on USA Network and Peacock. One game will decide the 2026 WNBA championship, and a first title for whichever franchise wins it.

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