WNBA finals head to first-ever Game 7 in San Francisco

The WNBA Finals will conclude with a Game 7 for the first time in league history on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday at State Farm Arena, tying the series at 3-3. This victory forced the teams to return to Golden State for the final game of the 2026 season.

The league switched from a best-of-five format to a best-of-seven series for the finals last year. However, the 2025 title was decided in four games when the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury. This year's matchup between the Dream and Valkyries is the first to require a seventh game. The series began on Oct. 17 and will end exactly two weeks later.

Golden State hosts the final game at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Valkyries have won six of the eight championship series since 2005 that went to a decisive game. Home teams have historically held an advantage in these final matchups. Both squads possess players with prior championship experience.

Golden State center Kiah Stokes won three titles with the Las Vegas Aces. Guard Tiffany Hayes was part of one of those championship teams. Forward Kayla Thornton won with the New York Liberty, and guard Cecilia Zandalasini won with the Minnesota Lynx. For Atlanta, forward DeWanna Bonner has two titles with the Phoenix Mercury. Forward Jordin Canada won two with the Seattle Storm. Forward Shatori Walker-Kimbrough won a title with the Washington Mystics.

The extended schedule has required five cross-country trips for the teams. Golden State hosted Games 1, 2, and 5, while Atlanta hosted Games 3 and 4. The travel time is 4.5 hours each way. Bonner said the length and travel are physically and mentally taxing. "It for sure feels longer," Bonner said. "Especially because the travel is so long, too, it's 4½ hours back and forth. I can absolutely feel the difference .. you feel it mentally and you feel it physically. It's how you handle it."

Stokes noted that while players discuss the length of a seven-game series, no one had experienced one before this year. "I know we are always saying, 'Yeah, seven games is a long series,' but none of us have ever played in a seven-game series," Stokes said. "But man, it is long."

The series has been defined by contrasting styles. Golden State relied on defense to win its three victories. Atlanta won its games by scoring more than 70 points each time. In Game 6, the Valkyries trailed by as many as 25 points in the first half. Guard Veronica Burton said the team did not quit, a quality she felt was missing in earlier losses.

Players on both sides expect the final game to be a test of execution and desire. Stokes said both teams know each other's schemes and tendencies. "Who can execute the game plan more? And it comes down to who wants it more?" Stokes asked. Golden State leading scorer Gabby Williams noted that the mental aspect becomes harder as the series progresses. "You're tired of seeing them," Williams said. "You can tell, the handshakes feel a little softer before the game and stuff."

Atlanta forward Angel Reese emphasized the need to stay poised. "You can't let your opponent win the mental game," Reese said. "It could be the crowd. It could be if you're making shots or not. It can be even the refs. So the biggest thing is just staying poised and staying within yourself and don't get too out of body." Reese said she wants to be exhausted after the final game. "You're going to have to peel me off the court. I want to be so damn tired. Like, I want to just be able to give everything."

Williams described Game 7 as potentially the hardest game of her life because both teams want the title so badly. "We have to want it more," Williams said. The Dream must maintain the offensive dominance shown in Game 6, while the Valkyries must find their defensive identity one last time. The winner will take the 30th season WNBA championship.