The WNBA’s expansion of its championship series to a seven-game format ahead of the 2025 season has culminated in its first-ever winner-take-all Game 7. As the league enters its second year under this structure, a new champion will be crowned this Saturday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The WNBA had numerous reasons to expand the Finals from five games ahead of the 2025 season. The league will hold its first-ever Game 7 with a first-time champion awaiting on either side, now in Year 2 of the revamped format. “We’ll take the next day to get as prepared as we can and make any adjustments that need to be made. … There’s a mentality right now of, ‘We’re happy we won, but we know the job is not done. We expect to go out there and play great.”.
Fourth-seeded Atlanta forced the series to its limit on Thursday, securing a decisive 80-69 win over the visiting second-seeded Golden State Valkyries.
Despite the pressure of a must-win scenario, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for the upcoming final clash. He noted that while the team is satisfied with Thursday’s outcome, the overarching objective remains unfulfilled, and they are fully focused on preparing for the final hurdle.
Allisha Gray overcame a persistent hand injury that had hindered her throughout the postseason, delivering a standout 23-point performance that featured five three-pointers. Her accuracy from deep was central to Atlanta’s offensive rhythm, as the team collectively connected on 13 shots from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Dream were equally effective, limiting the Valkyries to just 26 points during the first half of the match. Allisha Gray, hampered by a hand injury throughout the postseason, scored 23 points on five 3-pointers in a Game 6 that saw the Dream connect on 13 3-pointers while holding Golden State to 26 first-half points.
Support for the victory came from Rhyne Howard, who contributed 21 points, and Angel Reese, who recorded a double-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. Jordin Canada also provided 10 points to the effort. The team’s efficiency was evident early, as the Dream established a lead in the first minute and never relinquished control for the remainder of the game.
The match was held in an unusual Thursday matinee slot, shifted to accommodate the Atlanta Hawks’ evening game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the unconventional start time, the atmosphere at State Farm Arena was electric. Reese expressed gratitude for the local support, acknowledging how the crowd’s energy helped drive the team forward during the workday contest. “First, shoutout to the crowd,” Reese said. “To be able to come here at 12:30 on a Thursday with so many things going on in the world from school to work, we’re just super thankful.
On the opposite side, Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points, while Tiffany Hayes added 15. Golden State struggled with its perimeter shooting, hitting only seven of 27 attempts from deep. Head coach Natalie Nakase described the team’s slow start as unacceptable and indicated that she would use the return flight to evaluate defensive adjustments and address lapses in execution. Golden State, still in just its second season in the league, made just seven of its 27 3-point attempts (25.9 percent). But that was answered with consecutive Howard treys to make it 25-8, williams stopped the bleeding with the Valkyries’ first 3-pointer of the game. “I want to go back and look at the film and find solutions on where my message wasn’t delivered correctly,” Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said. “I’ll give them some space right now to rest and recover, but then pro.
The Dream’s dominance was clear from the opening period, as they launched a 13-0 run to jump ahead 19-5. Following consecutive three-pointers from Howard, Atlanta surged to a 32-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. By the midway point of the second quarter, Atlanta’s lead had swelled to 25 points. Though Golden State chipped away at the deficit in the second half—pulling within 16 points after a Kaila Charles buzzer-beater in the third—Atlanta maintained its composure.
Late in the fourth quarter, a layup by Williams trimmed the lead to 13, but the Dream countered immediately with key shots from Gray and Reese to push the advantage back to 19 points. Although Williams converted a three-point play in the final minutes to cut the gap to eight, Gray’s fifth successful three-pointer ultimately secured the win for Atlanta.
