Golden State Valkyries take Game 1 of WNBA Finals, 68-64

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco, taking Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals.

Gabby Williams led Golden State with 26 points. The Valkyries trailed by nine early and were down seven in the fourth quarter before turning the game around.

Golden State led for only six minutes and four seconds, and made 32.1% of its shots. The low shooting percentage did not stop the Valkyries from pulling out the win.

Williams said the team would find a way. Golden State leaned on its defense, depth and home crowd to close out the game.

The matchup brings together the league’s top two defenses: Golden State had the best defensive rating in the WNBA, with Atlanta second. Both teams made defense a central part of their playoff runs.

Atlanta forward Angel Reese, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, is among the Dream players tasked with slowing Golden State. Williams, a Valkyries forward, finished runner-up for the award.

The result gives Golden State the opening win in the championship series, but the WNBA title remains undecided. Game 1 was the only result established in the available reports.

Golden State Valkyries take Game 1 of WNBA Finals, 68-64

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