Dream and Valkyries Battle for WNBA Finals Edge as Game 6 Gets an Afternoon Tipoff

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray drives toward the basket as Golden State Valkyries defender Tiffany Hayes contests the shot in a file photograph — Source: Fox News / Getty Images (file photograph)

Summary

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries entered Game 5 of the best-of-seven WNBA Finals tied 2-2, after Golden State won Game 4 by 67-62.
Game 5 was scheduled for Monday, October 26, at Chase Center in San Francisco; its final result was not confirmed when this article was filed.
Game 6 is set for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, October 29, at Atlanta's State Farm Arena, with the Hawks playing there later that evening.

A pivotal Game 5 in San Francisco

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries met Monday night at San Francisco's Chase Center for Game 5 of a WNBA Finals series tied at two wins apiece. The winner would move within one victory of the championship, with at least one more game already guaranteed in Atlanta. The Game 5 result had not been confirmed when this article was filed.^{[1] [2]}

The game was scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern time on October 26, with USA carrying the broadcast and Peacock streaming it, according to the Valkyries and NBC Sports. Both franchises are seeking their first WNBA title; the league's best-of-seven Finals format was introduced in 2025.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Monday's matchup followed a sharp reversal in Atlanta. Golden State won Game 4, 67-62, on Saturday after the Dream had won the preceding two contests. The result evened the series and sent it back to the Valkyries' home court with neither team able to clinch in Game 5.^{[1] [4]}

How Golden State evened the series

Gabby Williams scored 17 points to lead Golden State in Game 4, while Kiah Stokes collected 16 rebounds and blocked three shots, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The Valkyries' defense helped restrict Atlanta forward Angel Reese to eight points on 2-for-12 shooting and nine rebounds.^[4]

Coach Natalie Nakase changed the Golden State starting lineup before Game 4, inserting Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles. Golden State forced 17 Atlanta turnovers and committed nine, producing 16 points from those takeaways, according to the Chronicle. The Dream fought back after trailing by 16 at halftime but could not erase the deficit.^{[4] [1]}

The earlier games show how quickly the series has shifted. The Valkyries won the opener 68-64; Atlanta responded with a 79-65 victory in Game 2 and a 97-71 win in Game 3. The 67-62 Game 4 result brought the teams level again, according to NBC's series schedule.^[2]

Why Game 6 will start at lunchtime

The WNBA has set Game 6 for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, October 29, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, moving the scheduled tip from 8 p.m. The larger arena seats roughly 17,000, compared with about 3,500 at the Dream's regular home, Gateway Center Arena, NBC Sports reported. The Dream also hosted Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena.^{[2] [5]}

The afternoon start resolves an arena conflict: the NBA's Atlanta Hawks also host the Cleveland Cavaliers there on Thursday. Their tipoff has been pushed from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET to allow time between events. Game 6 will air on USA and stream on Peacock, NBC said; if a seventh game is needed, it is scheduled for Saturday in San Francisco.^{[2] [5]}

The Game 5 winner will have the first chance to close out the championship on Thursday. Until Monday's result and final statistics are confirmed, the series leader and individual performances from that game remain unknown; this story will be updated when reliable reporting establishes them.^{[1] [2]}

Reporting sources

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