{
  "id": 14963780,
  "title": "When does the 2026 WNBA Finals start? Atlanta Dream face Golden State Valkyries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/when-does-the-2026-wnba-finals-start-atlanta-dream-face-golden-state",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:25:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/does-2026-wnba-finals-start-132530876.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 2026 WNBA Finals are set to commence on Saturday, October 17, with the highly anticipated matchup between the No. 2 ranked Golden State Valkyries and the No. 4 ranked Atlanta Dream. This championship encounter will mark the Valkyries' inaugural appearance in the Finals, following a stunning semifinal sweep of defending champions Las Vegas Aces.\n\nThe first game of the best-of-seven series is slated to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on NBC/Peacock, with subsequent games scheduled across various dates and times. Game 2 will take place on Monday, October 19, at 8 p.m. ET, Game 3 on Wednesday, October 21, at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24, at 1 p.m. ET. The remaining games, Games 5, 6, and 7, are contingent upon the series needing additional games and will follow the same pattern, scheduled for Monday, October 26, Thursday, October 29, and Saturday, October 31, respectively.\n\nWith the possibility of Allisha Gray's availability for Game 1 remaining uncertain due to a left ring finger injury, her status will be determined closer to the match-up. Having reached the WNBA Finals four times previously, the Atlanta Dream are looking to finally hoist the franchise championship, while the Golden State Valkyries, as expansion members, have already made waves with their dominant semifinal performance.",
  "summary": "The 2026 WNBA Finals tip off in less than 24 hours, with Golden State facing Atlanta for each franchise’s first championship.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Four ex-UConn women's basketball stars highlight WNBA Finals. Here's what you need to know",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/four-ex-uconn-womens-basketball-stars-highlight-wnba-finals-heres",
        "published": "2026-10-16T09:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}