Atlanta Dream players in a huddle. Photo: WNBA/Getty Images.
SPORTS NEWS
The Atlanta Dream return to Chase Center tonight with a chance to even the WNBA Finals. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 after a 68-64 win in Game 1 on October 17. The Dream say they were close, and they now have an immediate opportunity to turn that narrow loss into a series tie.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday, October 19, at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco. The WNBA’s official game listing has broadcast details.
Game 1 Sets Up a Close Rematch
The Valkyries took the opener by four points. That result gives Golden State the series lead, but it also leaves Atlanta with a clear path to level the matchup tonight: win Game 2, and the teams return to Atlanta tied 1-1.
The Associated Press game report notes that the Dream’s loss ended a 10-game winning streak and marked their first defeat of the postseason. Atlanta’s search for its first-ever WNBA Finals win continues.
The four-point margin is central to the preview. The Dream were within reach in the opener, but Golden State finished ahead. Tonight, Atlanta gets another chance against the same opponent, in the same building, with a chance to change the series picture.
“We Were Right There”
After Game 1, Dream head coach Karl Smesko described the result as a close one. “We were right there,” he said, according to the game report.
That assessment captures the balance of tonight’s opportunity. Atlanta did not leave Game 1 with a win, and the Valkyries have the advantage. But the Dream can respond in Game 2 and avoid returning home two games behind.
For the Atlanta side, the immediate focus is on the next result. A win makes the series even. A loss gives Golden State a 2-0 lead before the Finals move to Georgia.
A Finals Return More Than a Decade in the Making
This is Atlanta’s first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013. The return puts the Dream back on the championship stage and gives the team a chance to pursue a first Finals victory.
The milestone is significant, but the series is still in its early stages. With Game 2 tonight, the Dream have a direct chance to shift the momentum before the series moves to Atlanta. The Valkyries, meanwhile, look to protect their lead and take a second game on their home floor.
Atlanta’s Home Games Are Next
After tonight, the Finals schedule brings Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The home-court dates follow a scheduling swap that moved those games to the larger venue. The change gives Atlanta two games at home as the series continues.
That venue question connects to earlier Atlanta Wave TV coverage, “Atlanta’s First WNBA Finals Since 2013 Has One Big Question Left: Where Will the Dream Play?” The team has also committed to playing its home games at State Farm Arena through 2031, extending the venue story beyond this Finals series.
The shift gives Atlanta’s next home games a clear place on the calendar: Game 3 and Game 4 are set for State Farm Arena. For the Dream, the immediate task is still tonight’s game in San Francisco. A tied series would bring the teams to Atlanta level; a Valkyries win would leave the visitors with a 2-0 advantage.
What Game 2 Could Change
Tonight’s result cannot decide the championship, but it can set the tone for the next stage of the series. A Dream win would make the Finals a best-of-seven tie at one game apiece. A Valkyries win would give Golden State a two-game lead before Atlanta hosts the next two scheduled games.
The format leaves the Dream with room to respond. They do not need to erase the entire series deficit tonight; they need one win to even it. That makes Game 2 an important opportunity for Atlanta to build on the belief expressed after the opener while recognizing that Golden State has already claimed the first game.
The first game’s score tells the basic story: the Dream fell short by four, and Golden State leads. Game 2 offers Atlanta a chance to answer on the court before the series heads east.
Game 2 Details
The Atlanta Dream meet the Golden State Valkyries tonight, Monday, October 19, at Chase Center in San Francisco. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Check the WNBA game page for the latest broadcast information.
Atlanta’s first Finals appearance since 2013 is now underway. The series is 1-0, the first home games in Atlanta are ahead, and the Dream have an opportunity tonight to make it 1-1.
For more local sports coverage, visit the Atlanta Wave TV Sports archive.
