Game 7 Day in the WNBA Finals: Halloween at Chase Center, and a First-Time Champion by Midnight
Hours before tipoff of the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, Golden State's players were leaning into a Halloween home crowd, Stephen Curry had sent his message, and Atlanta stood one road win from its first title.
SAN FRANCISCO - The last day of the WNBA season has a costume party built in. The Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream on Saturday night at Chase Center in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history - 7 p.m. Central - with both franchises chasing their first championship, the Associated Press reported. "Halloween is Halloween, Ballhalla's Ballhalla, so it's definitely going to be a special night," Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes said hours before tipoff.
Atlanta forced this game the hard way. Down 3-2 in the series, the Dream beat Golden State 80-69 at home on Thursday to even the Finals at 3-3 - a game tipped at midday in Atlanta because of an arena conflict, while several thousand Valkyries fans turned out in San Francisco for a morning watch party hoping to celebrate a title that now waits one more game.
"I think it's pretty awesome, first ever Game 7," Valkyries center Kiah Stokes said Saturday. "So, what other way than to end the season just to have a Game 7, winner-take-all." Golden State has help from the building's other tenant: Warriors star Stephen Curry, who has plenty of Game 7 experience himself, offered a simple message to the Valkyries as he left his postgame interview after Friday's win over the Lakers - "Win, baby, win!"
The stakes are symmetrical and total. Golden State is trying to win a championship in its second season, after becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025. Atlanta, which stole Game 2 in San Francisco, needs one more road win. By midnight, one of them is a champion for the first time - and this station files the final within 45 minutes of the buzzer.
