Halloween won’t be just about costumes this year. For the first time in WNBA history, the Finals are headed to Game 7, with the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries preparing for one final battle to bring home their respective team’s first championship. Atlanta kept its season alive with an 80–69 victory on October 29, putting each team at three wins.
Allisha Gray made sure Atlanta would be on that flight back to California for Game 7. The guard scored 23 points, including five three-pointers, while Rhyne Howard added 21. The Dream built a 46–26 halftime lead and held off Golden State’s second-half push. Angel Reese also recorded her fourth double-double of the series, continuing to make her presence felt on the championship stage.
Golden State had its own standout in Gabby Williams, who finished with 26 points, but the Valkyries couldn’t close out the series on Atlanta’s floor. They will get another opportunity at home, where the stakes will be at an all-time high.
There’s a bigger notion here than who wins this Saturday (which is huge in itself). We’re seeing the league’s expanded Finals format in action. The WNBA moved from a best-of-five championship series to best-of-seven in 2025. Game 6 between the Dream and Valkyries at State Farm Arena sold out, with more than 10,000 tickets purchased in the first 90 minutes. And this game was played at lunchtime. A reel from USA Sports shows fans skipping work to attend—and many of the people interviewed were Black women, some of the sport’s biggest supporters over the last few years.
This comes on the heels of the Dream almost not being able to host at State Farm Arena because of scheduling conflicts. But if this game and these reactions mean anything, they prove women’s basketball isn’t just a pastime; it’s a phenomenon that deserves the investment and scheduling priorities to match.
Fans can watch the historic Game 7 on Saturday, October 31, at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. Halloween plans can wait until after the final buzzer.