# Valkyries Beat Dream 64-55 to Move Within One Win of WNBA Title

Golden State leads the Finals 3-2 after holding Atlanta to 29.2% shooting in Game 5. The Dream must win Thursday in Atlanta to force a deciding game.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / Basketball
Published: 2026-10-27T01:13:40Z
Updated: 2026-10-27T05:25:50Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/dream-valkyries-wnba-finals-game-5-game-6-jlluy4
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/f87b241984206942966a6fa64d9793a6.webp (Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray drives toward the basket as Golden State Valkyries defender Tiffany Hayes contests the shot in a file photograph; credit: Source: Fox News / Getty Images (file photograph))

## Summary
- Golden State beat Atlanta 64-55 at Chase Center on Oct. 26 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals.
- Kiah Stokes led the Valkyries with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks; four Golden State players scored at least 12.
- Atlanta shot 29.2% from the field and committed 15 turnovers; Game 6 is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 12:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta.

## Golden State takes control of the series

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday, Oct. 26, at Chase Center in San Francisco. The win gives Golden State a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and puts the second-year franchise one victory from its first championship. Atlanta now faces elimination: it must win Game 6 on Thursday to send the series back to San Francisco for a deciding game. [1](https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20261026) [2](https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-faces-must-win-game-in-atlanta-after-game-5-loss-to-valkyries)

Kiah Stokes supplied the leading individual line for Golden State, scoring 13 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots. She also made three three-pointers, matching her season-high scoring total and setting a playoff career best from beyond the arc, the Valkyries reported. Veronica Burton added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini each scored 12. The four double-figure scorers helped the Valkyries prevail in a low-scoring game. [1](https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20261026)

Defense and ball security shaped the result. Golden State forced 17 turnovers and gave the ball away nine times, converting the margin into 21 points off turnovers against six for Atlanta. The Dream also struggled to make shots: it finished at 29.2% from the field and 23.1% on three-pointers, according to the team’s recap. Atlanta went more than five minutes in the fourth quarter without a field goal, then got no closer than nine points until a late three-pointer. [1](https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20261026) [2](https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-faces-must-win-game-in-atlanta-after-game-5-loss-to-valkyries)

## Atlanta needs a response in Game 6

Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 20 points, while Jordin Canada scored 12 and Allisha Gray had 10. Angel Reese finished with seven points and 15 rebounds. The Dream’s own recap said the team made only three field goals in the second quarter and shot 23.5% in that period. That followed Game 4, when Golden State also held Atlanta below 70 points, making the Valkyries’ defensive adjustments a central factor in the series swing from Atlanta’s 2-1 lead to Golden State’s current advantage. [2](https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-faces-must-win-game-in-atlanta-after-game-5-loss-to-valkyries) [3](https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/atlanta-star-coach-say-valkyries-getting-away-22495922.php)

After the loss, Reese and Dream coach Karl Smesko publicly criticized the officiating, with Smesko saying he believed more contact against Reese should have drawn fouls, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Those comments reflect Atlanta’s view of the game; the box-score figures and shooting numbers separately show the offensive challenge the team must solve. Smesko said the Dream needed to produce a stronger offensive performance in the next game. [2](https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-faces-must-win-game-in-atlanta-after-game-5-loss-to-valkyries) [3](https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/atlanta-star-coach-say-valkyries-getting-away-22495922.php)

Game 6 is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 29, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the WNBA announced. The tip was moved from 8 p.m. to accommodate the Atlanta Hawks’ game at the same arena later that evening. The Valkyries can clinch the title with a win; if Atlanta forces Game 7, the league schedule sends the series back to Chase Center. The immediate question is whether the Dream can recover its shooting and extend the season, or whether Golden State will finish its run in Atlanta. [4](https://www.wnba.com/news/2026-wnba-finals-game-6-location-announcement) [5](https://www.wnba.com/webview/news/game-preview-2026-wnba-finals)

## Reporting sources
1. [Golden State Valkyries: Valkyries Take Game 5 of WNBA Finals Moving Within One Win of First Championship](https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20261026) (2026-10-26)
2. [Atlanta Dream: Dream Faces Must-Win Game in Atlanta After Game 5 Loss to Valkyries](https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-faces-must-win-game-in-atlanta-after-game-5-loss-to-valkyries) (2026-10-26)
3. [San Francisco Chronicle: Dream's Angel Reese and her coach blast officiating in WNBA Finals: 'Just ridiculous'](https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/atlanta-star-coach-say-valkyries-getting-away-22495922.php) (2026-10-27)
4. [WNBA: Game 6 of 2026 WNBA Finals to be Played at State Farm Arena on Thursday, October 29 at 12:30 pm ET](https://www.wnba.com/news/2026-wnba-finals-game-6-location-announcement) (2026-10-26)
5. [WNBA: 2026 WNBA Finals Preview: Golden State vs. Atlanta](https://www.wnba.com/webview/news/game-preview-2026-wnba-finals) (2026-10-16)