Home · Sports · Oct 28 archive
Valkyries clinch the title or Dream stay alive? Previewing Game 6 of the WNBA Finals
Confirmed
In Short: The Valkyries clinched a 3-2 series lead after defeating the Dream 64-55 in Game 5, setting up a crucial Game 6 in Atlanta.
The Valkyries secured a 3-2 series lead over the Atlanta Dream with a 64-55 victory in Game 5 at Chase Center in San Francisco, Monday night.
The Dream's Angel Reese, who had been a standout player in the series, struggled in Game 5, shooting just 2-for-8 from the field and committing several turnovers.
Dream coach Karl Smesko and his team are focused on correcting these mistakes in Game 6, which will be played Thursday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Dream will need to improve their defensive play and reduce turnovers to have a chance at evening the series and forcing a Game 7.
The Valkyries' Kiah Stokes led the team's defensive effort in Game 5, which was crucial in limiting the Dream's scoring opportunities.
Despite the Dream's challenges, they remain optimistic about their chances in Game 6.
Reese expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back, stating, 'I don't believe that it's not coming... I have no doubt that this team will come back, and fight back, and win this Game 6 and then move on from it.'
The game will be played at noon, a time that has raised concerns about attendance, with some suggesting it could lead to long stretches of empty seats.
Ticket prices for Game 6 have dropped significantly, with the get-in price on the resale market at just $32, nearly five times less than the $166 price for Game 3.
The Dream's ownership has been critical of the WNBA's decision to schedule the game at noon, citing safety concerns and the conflict with the Atlanta Hawks' home opener.
Despite the controversy, the Dream players are determined to focus on the game and not the external issues.
Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini led the Valkyries in scoring in Game 5, with Hayes contributing 12 points and Zandalasini adding 12 off the bench.
What this adds
The Valkyries' win marked their first playoff series victory in franchise history, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit in Game 4.
The Dream's venue for Game 6 is uncertain due to a scheduling conflict with the Atlanta Hawks' home opener, raising concerns about attendance and fan engagement.
Background
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries face an uncertain venue for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, with State Farm Arena already booked for the Atlanta Hawks' home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Valkyries' win marked their first playoff series victory in franchise history, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit, tied for the fifth-largest comeback in a winner-take-all game in WNBA history.
What's confirmed
- The Dream, which will be playing in what the team has announced is a sold-out State Farm Arena in Atlanta, will need to find a way to cut down on turnovers and start forcing more of their own in order to force a winner-takes-all Game 7.
What's still developing
- Angel Reese feels the Atlanta Dream's biggest opponent in Thursday's must-win Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals might be self-inflicted mistakes rather than the Golden State Valkyries.
- “For the fans who can make a noon tip-off work, though, this has turned into a pretty remarkable opportunity to attend a WNBA Finals game at a fraction of what tickets were selling for just two days ago,” TicketData founder Keith Pagello told FOS.
- “A Hawks game on Thursday night forced the Dream to find a last-minute contingency if they wanted to avoid the smaller arena.” While the Dream didn’t have any problem selling seats for games three and four, Thursday’s early afternoon tip-off raises the distinct possibility of long stretches of empty seats for a game that could crown the league’s champion.
- The WNBA’s most important game is not the cheapest ticket in town.
- ATLANTA -- While the Atlanta Dream and WNBA play the blame game and the outside world expresses outrage and condemnation over the midday Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, Dream players and head coach Karl Smesko are staying laser-focused on the task at hand: evening the series against the Golden State Valkyries and keeping their hopes of a WNBA championship alive.
- But while Dream ownership was calling out WNBA leadership, and others were throwing stones back at the Dream organization, the players had a much more immediate issue to deal with: the Valkyries' defense.
- Reese, the third-year forward who was traded to the Dream from the Chicago Sky in the offseason and was just named to the first All-WNBA second team of her career earlier this month, said the team had a particularly good film session on Wednesday morning and was ready to come out strong on Thursday and force a Game 7 at the Chase Center on Halloween.
- Freedom flagged safety concerns to law enforcement before the game, citing what he described as thousands of death threats.
- ATLANTA — With their back against the wall after a blowout loss in Game 3, head coach Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries stripped away the style points and returned to what made them a powerhouse: suffocating, relentless defense.
- In a postseason filled with unexpected results and historic performances, two teams are left standing with a WNBA title on the line: the No.
- Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrates with guard-forward Kaila Charles (6) during the second half of Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals, Saturday, Oct.
- Reese became the third player with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Jonquel Jones for Connecticut in 2019 and Breanna Stewart for Seattle in 2020.