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Atlanta Dream Falls to Golden State in WNBA Finals Game 1

By Drooid · Oct 18, 2026, 2:07 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Atlanta Dream loses

Atlanta Dream lost to Golden State Valkyries 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Allisha Gray left Game 1 with a hand injury and missed Games 2 and 3.
Game-1 tickets at San Francisco’s Chase Center cost about $214, a 529% rise from the previous year.
State Farm Arena will host Games 3 and 4 on Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 with 17,000 seats.

Summary

Reese Blocks Playoffs

Angel Reese, Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 2.2 blocks per game in playoffs.
Kiah Stokes recorded four blocks in the first half of Game 1.
Tiffany Hayes, 37, posted 13.3 points per game in playoffs, second-highest for Golden State.
Laeticia Amihere added five points and five rebounds in 14 minutes, surpassing prior garbage-time minutes.
Coach Natalie Nakase said defensive habits are the team’s “bread and butter” for winning moments.

Summary

Dream Skips Anthem

Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries stepped off court for national anthem at Game 1, Chase Center.
Atlanta’s 2020 union statement said the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for Americans.
The WNBA, Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries did not respond to media inquiries about the anthem absence.
Coach Karl Smesko said his team had not prepared for the deafening noise of the Ballhalla crowd.

History

Historical Context

On October 16 1968, U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, wearing Olympic Project for Human Rights badges, raised black-gloved fists during the national anthem at Mexico City, prompting IOC president Avery Brundage to expel them; Smith had just set a 19.83-second world record. The silent-anthem gesture in the 2024 WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries echoes that historic protest.

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Atlanta Dream loses

Atlanta Dream lost to Golden State Valkyries 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Allisha Gray left Game 1 with a hand injury and missed Games 2 and 3.
Game-1 tickets at San Francisco’s Chase Center cost about $214, a 529% rise from the previous year.
State Farm Arena will host Games 3 and 4 on Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 with 17,000 seats.

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