More Sports
Dream and Valkyries Set for WNBA’s First Finals Game 7 on October 31
The league’s first deciding Game 7 tips off at 8 p.m. EDT at Chase Center, with both franchises seeking their first title.
The WNBA Finals will reach a deciding seventh game for the first time October 31, when the Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on USA Network and Peacock.
The series is tied 3–3, and either result will produce a first championship for the winning franchise. Golden State owns home-court advantage as the higher seed, putting the final game in San Francisco after Atlanta hosted Game 6.
The Dream extended the series with an 80–69 victory October 29. Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Rhyne Howard added 21 and Angel Reese contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Atlanta opened a 32–15 lead after one quarter and led by 20 at halftime.
That response followed consecutive defeats in Games 4 and 5, when Atlanta scored 62 and 55 points. The Dream had previously won Games 2 and 3, while Golden State took the opener, leaving neither team able to close out the championship before Saturday’s finale.
The milestone arrives in the second season of the Finals’ best-of-seven format. The league approved the expansion in October 2024, with implementation beginning in 2025. The championship round had previously been best-of-five; adding two possible games created room for the first winner-take-all Game 7.
The current postseason places the higher seed at home for Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, with its opponent hosting Games 3, 4 and 6. Earlier rounds remain best-of-three and best-of-five. Atlanta reached these Finals by eliminating Washington and New York; Golden State advanced past Dallas and Las Vegas.
The league’s Saturday announcement confirms the deciding game and broadcast details. Both franchises remain one victory from the title, with the championship still unclaimed before tipoff. Dream coach Karl Smesko said his team was ready but still had work to finish.
