WNBA Finals Game 1 Gameday: Valkyries host Dream at Chase Center
The best-of-seven championship series opens today at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Both teams arrive after 3-0 semifinal sweeps.
Game 1 arrives in San Francisco
The 2026 WNBA Finals begin today, Saturday 17 October, at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Atlanta Dream visit the Golden State Valkyries for Game 1 with tipoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local PT), televised nationally on NBC and streamed on Peacock. The series line sits at 0-0 heading into the opener.
Golden State earned home-court advantage as the number two overall seed (32-12 regular season) and hosts Games 1 and 2 in the Bay Area. The Dream, seeded fourth with a 30-14 regular-season mark, will host Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta next week.
Historic stakes for both franchises
Neither organization has ever hoisted a WNBA championship trophy. The Valkyries have made history by reaching the Finals in their inaugural era, capping a 3-0 semifinal sweep over the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces with an 87-77 overtime triumph.
The Dream swept the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Liberty 3-0, clinching Game 3 by an 85-83 scoreline behind a 22-point performance from Angel Reese. Atlanta returns to the Finals stage for the first time since 2013, setting up a fresh and unpredictable championship clash.
Sources
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