Atlanta Dream v Golden State Valkyries: WNBA finals 2026 Game 1 – live buildup

Key events27m agoAtlanta's Allisha Gray expected to play37m agoPreambleAngel Reese insists the occasion won’t overwhelm Atlanta as the Dream prepare for their first WNBA finals appearance in 13 years – even if the atmosphere inside Golden State’s famously raucous Chase Center promises to be something special.“Not really,” Reese said Friday when asked whether the finals felt different from previous playoff games. “I think all of us have been in a stage where we played for some type of championship or played for something at a high stake.”The WNBA’s defensive player of the year did, however, acknowledge the challenge of playing in front of the Valkyries’ passionate home crowd.“I know the environment in Ballhalla is great. The energy is great. They have great fan support. They love women’s basketball here and what they’ve been able to do in a year and a half, two years is really cool to see.”Atlanta’s Angel Reese looks on before Game 1. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesVeteran DeWanna Bonner, a two-time WNBA champion, has been urging her younger teammates to savor the experience without changing their approach.“Don’t change anything. Do what got you here,” Bonner said. “You never know when you’re going to get back here again. It’s really hard to get back here again, so also make sure you’re having fun out there and soaking it all in.”For Rhyne Howard, the moment is a measure of just how far Atlanta have come.“Nobody thought that we would make it to the finals, and we’re doing that, we’re achieving that,” she said. “We set out goals long before this year, and it’s finally coming to fruition.”Atlanta's Allisha Gray expected to playAtlanta guard Allisha Gray could return from a finger injury for today’s game with coach Karl Smesko optimistic about her availability. Gray, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season at 19.0 points per game, missed the final two games of the Dream’s semi-final sweep of New York after injuring the ring finger on her shooting hand. She participated in light practice Friday.“She’s going to go through the workout today. Everything’s trending in the right direction,” Smesko said during Saturday’s pre-game availability. “It’s a hand injury, so if she can go I don’t expect there to be anything [limiting] other than if she has trouble with it during the game.”Atlanta’s Allisha Gray warms up before Game 1 of the WNBA finals in San Francisco on Saturday. Photograph: Jeff Chiu/APPreambleHello and welcome to our live coverage of Game 1 of the WNBA finals, where the Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream in a matchup that few people saw coming. The Valkyries, in only their second year of existence, host a Dream outfit making their first finals appearance in 13 years. Whatever happens over the next two weeks, the WNBA is guaranteed a first-time champion.After becoming the first WNBA expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in their inaugural campaign, Natalie Nakase’s Golden State have taken another enormous leap, finishing 32-12 before ousting the Dallas in the opening round before sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas in the semi-finals. Atlanta’s journey has been lengthier, but no less compelling. The Dream have reached the finals for the first time since 2013, having lost all three of their previous appearances in the championship round. Under second-year coach Karl Smesko, they have transformed into a defensive powerhouse, sweeping Washington and New York to reach this stage unbeaten in the postseason. Angel Reese, acquired from Chicago before the season, has been a revelation, winning defensive player of the year honors while averaging 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in the playoffs.Quick GuideWNBA finals 2026ShowScheduleBest-of-seven series. All times Eastern.Sat 17 Oct Game 1: Atlanta at Golden State, 3.30pm (NBC)Mon 19 Oct Game 2: Atlanta at Golden State, 8pm (USA/CNBC)Wed 21 Oct Game 3: Golden State at Atlanta, 8pm (USA/CNBC)Sat 24 Oct Game 4: Golden State at Atlanta, 1pm (NBC)Mon 26 Oct Game 5: Atlanta at Golden State, 8pm* (USA/CNBC)Thu 29 Oct Game 6: Golden State at Atlanta, 8pm* (USA/CNBC)Sat 31 Oct Game 7: Atlanta at Golden State, 8pm* (USA/CNBC)*-if necessaryHow to watchIn the US, the series will air on NBC, USA Network and CNBC, with all games streaming on Peacock. In the UK, it will be carried by Sky Sports. In Australia, fans can watch through WNBA League Pass, with selected coverage also available through ESPN.If you’re expecting a high-scoring spectacle, you might want to recalibrate. These are the league’s two best defensive teams, accounting for six of this season’s 10 All-Defensive selections. Golden State’s Gabby Williams has been magnificent throughout the playoffs, averaging 22.2 points per game, while Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes anchor a disciplined, relentlessly physical system. Atlanta counter with Reese, Rhyne Howard and the playmaking brilliance of Jordin Canada, though the availability of leading scorer Allisha Gray remains uncertain because of a hand injury.The Valkyries swept all three regular-season meetings, but these teams haven’t faced each other since early July. And Golden State will have another advantage today: the thunderous support of Chase Center, affectionately known as Ballhalla, where the league’s best-supported franchise have turned home games into something approaching a civic movement.Tipoff is scheduled for 3.30pm ET (8.30pm BST). We’ll have plenty more of build-up between now and then.WNBA finals T-shirts are displayed before Game 1 between the Dream and Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday. Photograph: Adam Hagy/NBAE/Getty ImagesBryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at our writers’ predictions for the series ahead.