EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
The WNBA Finals begin Saturday between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries when the opens in California.
The league will have a first-time champion. The Valkyries became the quickest WNBA expansion franchise to reach the finals since the league first began 30 years ago. That topped the Dream, who did it in their third year. The Dream have reached the Finals for the first time since 2013. The team’s Angel Reese is the biggest star left on the brightest stage as she gets her first chance at winning a pro championship.
The Dream will host the Valkyries in Game 3 and Game 4 of the at State Farm Arena, allowing for larger attendance, after the league moved one up a day and altered tipoff of the other to avoid conflicts at the venue.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will now be Wednesday, Oct. 21. Tipoff for Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24 will be 1 p.m. Eastern, 2 1/2 hours before the previously scheduled start time.
The location of the Dream home games had been up in the air because the team wanted to play at State Farm Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks that seats more than 17,000 fans, as opposed to their normal home, Gateway Center Arena, which holds only 3,500. The Valkyries have sold out every game in their 18,064-seat Chase Center in San Francisco in their two seasons.
There were conflicts at State Farm Arena for Game 3, with a concert by singer Sombr on Oct. 22, and for Game 4, with the Hawks holding their home opener the night of Oct. 24.
It’s unclear where a Game 6 would be held if the WNBA Finals go that long because the Hawks have another home game on Oct. 29.
The Dream will play all their home games next season at State Farm Arena after earlier this month.
The Valkyries had their own conflict with Game 2 on Oct. 19, when Doja Cat had a concert scheduled that night at Chase Center. The concert was moved to Oct. 25.
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WHERE TO WATCH THE WNBA FINALS
The WNBA Finals will be shown on two networks with NBC showing Game 1 and 4 and USA Network all the other games. Peacock will stream every game of the championship.
View the schedule .
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READ SOME OF AP’S LATEST COVERAGE
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FIND PLAYERS WITH TIES NEAR YOU
Players for the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are listed by school and hometown. There are a number of players with international ties.
ALABAMA
DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta Dream forward-guard, played at Auburn, hometown is Fairfield, Alaska.
ALASKA
DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta Dream forward-guard, played at Auburn, hometown is Fairfield, Alaska.
CALIFORNIA
Kaitlyn Chen, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is San Marino, California.
Ashten Prechtel, Valkyries forward, played at Stanford, hometown is Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Te-Hina Paopao, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Oceanside, California.
Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream guard, played at UCLA, hometown is Los Angeles, California.
COLORADO
Ashten Prechtel, Valkyries forward, played at Stanford, hometown is Colorado Springs, Colorado.
CONNECTICUT
Gabby Williams, Valkyries forward, played at Connecticut, hometown is Sparks, Nevada.
Kaitlyn Chen, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is San Marino, California.
Tiffany Hayes, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is Lakeland, Florida.
Kiah Stokes, Valkyries center, played at Connecticut, hometown is Marion, Iowa.
FLORIDA
Tiffany Hayes, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is Lakeland, Florida.
GEORGIA
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Sandersville, Georgia.
ILLINOIS
Veronica Burton, Valkyries guard, played at Northwestern, hometown is Newton, Massachusetts.
IOWA
Kiah Stokes, Valkyries center, played at Connecticut, hometown is Marion, Iowa.
KENTUCKY
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Kentucky, hometown is Cleveland, Tennessee.
LOUISIANA
Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Louisiana State, hometown is Baltimore, Maryland.
MARYLAND
Kaila Charles, Valkyries guard-forward, played at Maryland, hometown is Glenn Dale, Maryland.
Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Louisiana State, hometown is Baltimore, Maryland.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Maryland, hometown is Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Maryland, hometown is Havre de Grace, Maryland.
MASSACHUSETTS
Veronica Burton, Valkyries guard, played at Northwestern, hometown is Newton, Massachusetts.
MICHIGAN
Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Michigan, hometown is Cleveland, Ohio.
NEVADA
Gabby Williams, Valkyries forward, played at Connecticut, hometown is Sparks, Nevada.
NORTH CAROLINA
Miela Sowah, Valkyries guard, played at Duke, hometown is Queensland, Australia.
Indya Nivar, Atlanta Dream guard, played at North Carolina, hometown is Apex, North Carolina.
OHIO
Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Michigan, hometown is Cleveland, Ohio.
PENNSYLVANIA
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Maryland, hometown is Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Laeticia Amihere, Valkyries forward, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Te-Hina Paopao, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Oceanside, California.
Madina Okot, Atlanta Dream center, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mumias, Kenya.
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Sandersville, Georgia.
TENNESSEE
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Kentucky, hometown is Cleveland, Tennessee.
TEXAS
Kayla Thornton, Valkyries forward, played at University of Texas-El Paso, hometown is El Paso, Texas.
WASHINTON, D.C.
Juste Jocyte, Valkyries guard-forward, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Lithuania.
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INTERNATIONAL TIES
AUSTRALIA
Miela Sowah, Valkyries guard, played at Duke, hometown is Queensland, Australia.
Isobel Borlase, Atlanta Dream guard, hometown is Adelaide, Australia.
CANADA
Laeticia Amihere, Valkyries forward, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
FRANCE
Iliana Rupert, Valkyries center, hometown is Pau, France.
Janelle Salaun, Valkyries forward, hometown is Paris, France.
Aminata Gueye, Valkyries center, hometown is Paris, France.
LITHUANIA
Juste Jocyte, Valkyries guard-forward, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Lithuania.
KENYA
Madina Okot, Atlanta Dream center, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mumias, Kenya.
MALI
Sika Kone, Atlanta Dream forward, hometown is Bamako, Mali.
ITALY
Cecilia Zandalasini, Valkyries forward, hometown is Broni, Italy.
Matilde Villa, Atlanta Dream guard, hometown is Lissone, Italy.
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ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE
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