The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will meet in the WNBA Finals beginning October 17 after sweeping their respective semifinal series on Friday night. Golden State defeated the Las Vegas Aces in overtime, while Atlanta edged the New York Liberty to secure their first championship appearance since 2013.
Kayla Thornton scored 18 points on Friday night as the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA Finals, marking the first time in five years that neither A’ja Wilson nor Breanna Stewart will play in the final series. Angel Reese won Defensive Player of the Year in Atlanta and Janelle Salaün captured a unanimous Sixth Player of the Year honor for Golden State.
Golden State Sweeps Defending Champions in Overtime
Golden State reached the championship round in just its second season by defeating the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime on the road. Thornton led the visitors with 18 points, while Gabby Williams added 16 points, including eight in the extra period. The result marked the first time a team coached by Becky Hammon was swept in the postseason. Head coach Natalie Nakase noted that consistency is key for the team moving forward.
Williams noted the team maintained internal belief despite external doubt throughout the season. We're about to have some bandwagoners, but we ain't got no love all season. Nobody believed in us, but it made us smile because we were like, `All we need is each other,
she said.
For Las Vegas, the loss ended a run of dominance that included winning three of the four past titles. I'm going to try to show up and uphold that (championship) standard every single opportunity I get because, hell, we created it,
Wilson said.
Atlanta Clinches First Finals Appearance in Thirteen Years
Angel Reese led Atlanta with 22 points on Friday as the Dream secured their own sweep by defeating the New York Liberty 85-83 in Brooklyn. Rhyne Howard contributed 21 points. Reese has adapted smoothly following her arrival from Chicago via trade during the previous offseason, pacing the league with 12.4 rebounds per contest while averaging 16.4 points.
The victory put Atlanta into the finals for the first time since 2013.
Howard praised the team’s defensive identity after the clinching win. This is a dream come true, not only for me, but for the rest of my teammates.
Valkyries Lead Valuations as Dream Move to State Farm Arena
The Valkyries top Sportico valuations at $850 million, having recently become the first women’s sports franchise to record $100 million in revenue. The Dream rank 13th at $280 million and announced a multiyear agreement to host home games at State Farm Arena beginning next season. The franchise has primarily used the 3,500-seat Gateway Arena in College Park—selling out every home match there across the last three years—alongside eight sellout crowds for marquee contests hosted at State Farm.
Players participating in the championship will compete for increased compensation under the current collective bargaining agreement. Winners will receive $60,000 each, while runners-up take home $20,000 apiece — up from $22,908 and $8,521 previously.
WNBA Finals Schedule
Golden State holds home-court advantage as the No. 2 seed and will host the opening two games in the Bay Area.
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 17 at Golden State
- Game 2: Monday, Oct. 19 at Golden State
- Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 22 at Atlanta
- Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 24 at Atlanta
- Game 5: Monday, Oct. 26 at Golden State (if necessary)
- Game 6: Thursday, Oct. 29 at Atlanta (if necessary)
- Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31 at Golden State (if necessary)