WNBA News · LatestYesterday, Oct 19, 2026

Jennifer Sey describes a heated fan clash at WNBA Finals Game 1 in San Francisco.

Angel Reese went scoreless after halftime but insists the Valkyries didn’t stop her.

Alysha Clark explains why the little details matter most to a young Dallas Wings team.

Refs stayed silent. WNBA fans didn’t.

The Atlanta Dream starting five. | Getty Images The Golden State Valkyries know who they are. The pillars of their identity—defense and depth, plus the the clutchtime magic of Ballhalla—were the foundation of their Game 1 win in the 2026 WNBA Finals over the Atlanta Dream. Through their 5-0 start to the postseason, the Dream had appeared to discover their identity, flexing an aggression and athleticism that overwhelmed the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. But, what if they can’t acces...

Making a WNBA Finals prediction isn’t exactly easy this year. Choosing between two teams with very different stories en route to their first championship is what makes the decision both difficult to make and interesting to hear out.

Angel Reese and Kayla Thornton. | Getty Images At the start of the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream were in a good spot. On the road against the Golden State Valkyries, they were up by five points. In that final frame, however, Atlanta’s offense fell apart, and they lost 68-64. They couldn’t throw a pea in the ocean, shooting a dismal 2-for-19 from the field and missing all seven 3-pointers. After the loss, Dream head coach Karl Smesko spoke about the lack o...

Here's the full WNBA schedule for Oct. 19, including game times, TV channels, scores and how to stream.

Earlier in the season, Angel Reese exclaimed that “Anything that goes up is mine,” reflecting her mentality in the paint. Reese is now the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The stage is set. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are in the WNBA Finals, but before the game began, the fashion runway was laid out for the players.

This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Tanisha Wright coached A’ja Wilson, a five-time WNBA MVP, for two seasons as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces. She is now the head coach of Penn State. In 2021, when I was an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces, we lost in the semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury. We were clearly the heavy favorite to win that series and return to the WNBA championship. As we were coming of

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham had a lot to say about Gabby Williams.

The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream tipped off the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center, with Golden State rallying late to take a 1-0 series lead. But before the game even started, both teams found themselves at the center of a controversy. Both the Valkyries and the Dream reportedly left the court shortly…

WNBA analyst Emily Austin called out the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries for heading to the locker room during the national anthem. The Ballhalla Arena was packed with fans eager to watch Game 1 between the Valkyries and the Dream, who swept their opponents to reach the WNBA Finals.