The Golden State Valkyries won Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday, Oct. 17, beating the Atlanta Dream 68 to 64 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Gabby Williams led all scorers with 26 points and sank six free throws in roughly the final two minutes to seal it. Golden State now leads the best of seven series by a game.
The victory was the first Finals win in franchise history for Golden State. The Valkyries are still unbeaten at home this postseason. The game delivered plenty of drama, but the moment people are still arguing about happened before the opening tip, and neither team has explained it.
How did the Valkyries come back against the Dream in the WNBA Finals?
Golden State trailed by seven early in the fourth quarter and looked stuck. Then the defense took over. Atlanta did not make a field goal after Jordin Canada’s jumper with a little more than four minutes left.
The turning point came on a single trip down the floor. Veronica Burton blocked Canada at the rim, and Golden State swatted away Angel Reese’s putback on the same possession. Tiffany Hayes then fed Williams for a layup in transition. Burton later blocked an Allisha Gray floater, and the Dream started fouling. Gabby Williams did not miss her chance at the line. Her free throws put Golden State ahead for good with just over a minute left, and two more with 4.1 seconds remaining ended it.
Atlanta still had chances. Reese stole the ball from Williams twice in the closing stretch, but the Dream came away empty both times.
Kiah and Gabby put on a SHOW in game one of the @WNBA Finals. https://t.co/QoTiIiaLls
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) October 17, 2026
Did Angel Reese dominate Game 1?
For one quarter, she did. Reese scored 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting in the first quarter, including nine during an 11 to 0 Atlanta run. After that, she did not make another field goal. She finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Afterward, she blamed herself for not being aggressive enough with the ball and promised a better effort next time.
This run is personal for Angel Reese. Chicago traded her to Atlanta in April for two first round picks. She celebrated the move on X with a play on her new team’s name. Now she is three wins from a title in her first season wearing Dream colors.
Who was the hidden hero for Golden State?
Look at the bench. Laeticia Amihere had played only six minutes all postseason before Saturday. She spent her first two seasons in Atlanta, and coach Natalie Nakase said that inside knowledge shaped the game plan. In 14 minutes, Amihere protected the paint and helped flip a game that was slipping away. Kaila Charles grabbed 10 rebounds as Golden State won the boards 57 to 47 against the league’s best rebounding team.
It came at a cost. Hayes shot 1 of 12, hit her head diving for a loose ball and did not return. Nakase said Hayes was OK but gave no clear update on her status for Game 2. Gabby Williams also limped after a collision near the free throw line, though she said she was fine.
Why did both teams leave the court during the national anthem?
That is the question still hanging over this series. Both teams walked off before Bay Area R&B singer Goapele sang the anthem and jogged back out seconds after she finished. Critics on social media called it disrespectful, but neither team has said why they left.
History adds weight to the mystery. In August 2020, Atlanta’s game notes carried a players union message saying the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans. That was the season WNBA players dedicated to Breonna Taylor, when Dream players pushed back publicly against Kelly Loeffler, who at the time was one of the team’s owners. Reese has been part of a similar scene before. In 2024, LSU was off the floor for the anthem before an Elite Eight game, and coach Kim Mulkey later said it was routine, not intentional.
It may have been a protest or just pregame timing. Nobody has said. Game 2 tips off Monday night at Chase Center. Hayes’ health, Angel Reese’s response and where both teams will be standing when the anthem plays are all still unanswered.
