2026 WNBA Finals Schedule: Dream vs Valkyries Dates, TV and Times

The 2026 WNBA Finals will begin Saturday, October 17, with the Atlanta Dream visiting the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco. Game 1 tips off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern / 12:30 p.m. Pacific on NBC and Peacock. The Finals use a best-of-seven format: the first team to win four games becomes champion. Golden State hosts Games 1 and 2, Atlanta hosts Games 3 and 4, and Games 5–7 happen only if necessary. This schedule is based on the Valkyries’ official October 10 announcement and the WNBA playoff bracket.

Schedule and broadcast information checked October 11, 2026. The championship series has not begun. Start times, venues and carriage may be updated by the league or broadcasters.

2026 WNBA Finals: complete Dream vs Valkyries schedule

*Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if the series has not already been decided. All Eastern times are conversions from the officially listed Pacific start times. Atlanta’s precise venue was still listed as TBD in Golden State’s announcement.

The official Valkyries Finals release lists 12:30 p.m. PT for afternoon games and 5 p.m. PT for evening games; that corresponds to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern, respectively. This is a schedule rather than a live score report.

How the Atlanta Dream reached the WNBA Finals

The fourth-seeded Dream swept the New York Liberty 3–0 in the semifinals. Atlanta secured its place with an 85–83 win on October 9, holding on in a close finish and reaching the Finals for the first time since 2013. The WNBA’s Game 3 recap credits Angel Reese with 22 points in the decisive game.

Atlanta’s semifinal result matters in two ways. First, the sweep gave the Dream time to prepare for Golden State rather than play a fourth or fifth semifinal game. Second, the narrow Game 3 finish demonstrated how much late-possession execution can matter against experienced playoff opponents. Neither observation predicts what will happen in the Finals.

How the Golden State Valkyries reached the Finals

The second-seeded Valkyries also swept their semifinal opponent, eliminating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3–0. Golden State completed the series with an 87–77 overtime victory on October 9. The WNBA’s official playoff bracket shows the result and the sweep.

Golden State’s arrival is particularly notable for the franchise timeline. The team began playing in 2025, making the 2026 Finals its second season. Golden State’s official announcement identifies the appearance as the fastest an expansion team has reached the Finals in WNBA history. That is a team-reported historical claim, not a statistic we independently projected.

Where is Game 1 played, and which team has home court?

Golden State has home-court advantage under the announced Finals schedule, playing the first two games at San Francisco’s Chase Center. The series moves to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4. If the teams require more games, Game 5 returns to San Francisco, Game 6 is in Atlanta and a potential Game 7 goes back to Chase Center.

This arrangement means neither team has to play an immediate back-and-forth trip between the opening games. It also makes the first weekend important: two opening games at home create an opportunity for Golden State to set the tone, although Atlanta arrives with an unbeaten postseason record after its own early-round success. Home court determines location, not outcome.

How to watch Dream vs Valkyries in the United States

1. Identify your preferred Finals game in the schedule above.
2. For Games 1 and 4, look for NBC or Peacock.
3. For Games 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, if played, check USA or Peacock.
4. Confirm your local provider’s access and the latest listing near tipoff; streaming subscriptions and regional availability may vary.

The team also lists radio coverage of its home games on local stations and audio platforms in its official announcement. This article does not promise that any streaming service is available without a subscription.

What to watch before the opening tip

Atlanta’s availability and roster updates

The Dream’s final semifinal was played without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who had been sidelined by a finger injury, according to the league’s October 10 recap. Her Game 1 status should not be inferred from that earlier absence. Check official Atlanta or league pregame injury reporting nearer October 17 rather than relying on a six-day-old status.

Both teams arrive off semifinal sweeps

Neither club required a fourth semifinal game. That sets up a Finals opener between teams entering from successful series, not a rematch of one side’s elimination battle. Atlanta defeated New York 85–83 in Game 3; Golden State won in overtime against Las Vegas, 87–77. Each result offers evidence of resilience, but the matchup itself remains unplayed.

Readers following the Valkyries’ semifinal route can revisit AVARIXO’s Valkyries–Aces Game 3 viewing guide or the Liberty–Dream Game 3 guide. Those are previews of games already completed; the authoritative source for present Finals dates is the league and team’s new schedule.

Frequently asked questions

When do the 2026 WNBA Finals start?

Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Who is playing in the 2026 WNBA Finals?

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries.

How many games are in the WNBA Finals?

The Finals are best-of-seven. A team must win four games, so the series can last between four and seven games.

What channel is WNBA Finals Game 1 on?

NBC and Peacock in the United States, according to Golden State’s October 10 team announcement.

Is the Atlanta venue confirmed?

The team announcement identifies Atlanta as host for Games 3, 4 and possibly 6, but lists the precise venue as TBD as of October 11.

Featured-image credit: Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray in a 2024 archival photo by John Mac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. The photo does not depict the 2026 Finals; Allisha Gray’s Game 1 availability was unconfirmed at the time of writing.