The Valkyries could clinch their first-ever championship Thursday when they play Game 6 of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream.
Tipoff is set for 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time after the game was moved to Atlanta’s largest basketball venue, State Farm Arena, which has a scheduling conflict Thursday night.
Golden State has climbed back from a 2-1 series deficit by winning Game 4 on the road Saturday and Game 5 at home Monday after inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes into the starting lineup.
Kiah Stokes has also been key in slowing down Dream star Angel Reese, who had been dominant early in the series but has been quieter over the last two games. The Valkyries held Atlanta to a season-low of 62 points in Game 4, then took it a step further on Monday night, allowing just 55 points.
Gabby Williams is the leading scorer in the series at 16.2 points per game, continuing her playoff surge that featured a 36-point output in Game 2 of the opening round against Dallas and a 26-point showing in Game 1 of the Finals. Williams only had nine points in Game 5, though, as Stokes and Veronica Burton led Golden State with 13 each.
Reese is leading Atlanta with 16 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the series. Rhyne Howard had her highest total of the series in Game 5 with 20 points and is averaging 14.4 over the series.
With the early start time, bars and restaurants across the Bay Area are opening their doors to fans early, including many in the Valkyries’ bar network. The game is airing on USA Network and streaming on Peacock.
Follow along below for live updates from the game…