That first quarter set the tone and created a deficit too large for the Valkyries to overcome despite a much better second half, which they won 43-34.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey scored 31 points in the first quarter,\u201d Veronica Burton said about the Valkyries\u2019 slow start in the postgame media availability, per a live stream on the WNBA\u2019s YouTube channel. \u201cThat\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She also added, \u201cThere needs to be a sense of urgency. It\u2019s the WNBA Finals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head coach Natalie Nakase also used the word \u201cunacceptable\u201d to describe her team\u2019s start. Gabby Williams also noted that the team \u201cdidn\u2019t come ready,\u201d which is a concerning assessment with the championship on the line. After all, if you can\u2019t \u201ccome ready\u201d for a chance to end the season and win a championship, when will you play with the right energy? A lot was made about the game\u2019s early start time<\/a>, but Burton, Williams, and Nakase all said it had nothing to do with their slow start and that the Dream had to play at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Championship Will Be Decided in a Historic Game 7 Oct 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) is defended by Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere (3) in the second quarter during game six of the 2026 WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Since the Valkyries couldn\u2019t finish the job in Atlanta, the series will go back to Ballhalla for Game 7. It will be the first Game 7 in WNBA history. The league changed its finals format from a best-of-five series to a best-of-seven series ahead of last season, but the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in four games, so we never got to see the full extent of a best-of-seven series in the WNBA. The Valkyries have sold out every home game so far, so it should be an electric atmosphere for the biggest game of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n No matter the outcome, the WNBA will crown a first-time champion. The Valkyries, of course, are just in their second season, and the Dream missed out on a championship three times in the 2010s, losing once to the Seattle Storm and twice to the Minnesota Lynx.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Angel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m64md5915gpa0p3pf6.jpg\" "\\"Angel")
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