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Valkyries and Dream are tied 2-2 in the WNBA Finals: how Bay Area girls and families can watch, join in and start the pro pathway

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 24, 2026. Last updated October 24, 2026.

The Golden State Valkyries are in their first WNBA Finals, in only their second season. This post covers what Bay Area girls and families can do around the series. The records, the matchup and the Chase Center details are in the existing series, which starts with the Bay Area pro basketball guide.

Where do the Valkyries and Dream stand, and when is Game 5?

The series is tied 2-2 after the Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 in Atlanta on October 24, 2026, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. Game 5 is Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco, per the same report. KQED's schedule lists the Monday game, October 26, at 5 p.m., per KQED.

The Finals are a best-of-seven series, so the first team to win four games takes the title, per NBC Bay Area. Game 5 is certain. Games 6 and 7 are played only if needed. KQED lists these dates, all at 5 p.m.:

This post does not report a result for any game after October 24.

How can Bay Area families watch or attend the Finals?

The main television channels are NBC and Peacock, USA and CNBC, and streaming is on YouTube TV, Fubo and WNBA League Pass, per KQED. Tickets for home games are sold through the Valkyries' website, per KQED. KQED reported Game 1 prices from $223 to more than $1,300 on Ticketmaster, so a watch party is the lower-cost way for most families.

KQED's guide lists watch parties in San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Clara and San Jose. The Oakland list includes George & Walt's, Xingones Cantina, Oakland Athletic Club, White Horse Bar and Understory. The San Francisco list includes events at Salesforce Park and The Center in Japantown. Many listed places are bars, so a family should confirm the venue's age rules before going.

NBC Bay Area reported that the Valkyries planned fan activities outside Thrive City on game days. It also reported that Rikki's, a San Francisco sports bar focused on women's sports, was at capacity during the playoff run. KQED advises arriving at sports bars at least an hour and a half early.

Which Valkyries programs support Bay Area girls in basketball?

The clearest one is She Plays On, a campaign of the Golden State Community Foundation and Kaiser Permanente for girls in San Francisco Unified and Oakland Unified schools, per the Valkyries. A donation of $25 goes to the foundation for each Valkyries jersey bought through the Golden State Shop or the Valkyries online shop. The program began in the 2025 season, raised over $400,000 and funds field days and clinics for girls and their coaches.

The campaign rests on research. The Valkyries and Kaiser Permanente worked with Mahogany Insights on a December 2024 study of why Bay Area girls leave sports, and the foundation says girls drop out at a higher rate than boys, per the Valkyries. The nonprofits BAWSI and Playworks will run the programming.

Two other programs are verified. The Valkyries played for Youth UpRising, an East Oakland youth hub founded in 2005, in the 2026 Commissioner's Cup, per the Valkyries. Golden State Sports Academy runs camps and clinics year-round across the Bay Area and runs camps with the Valkyries, per the Napa Valley Register. Prices and ages were not listed, so families should check them directly.

What do Natalie Nakase and Gabby Williams show about the pathway?

Both built careers with Bay Area stops and took winding routes. Natalie Nakase, the Valkyries' head coach since October 10, 2024, played for the San Jose Spiders in 2005 and interned with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2012, per NBC Washington. She became the first woman on the bench as an NBA assistant coach, at the 2014 Summer League, and joined the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant in 2022.

Valkyries player Gabby Williams played for the Mission Rec Rebels and the Bay Area Bulldawgs and made road trips from Reno to Oakland while growing up, per The San Francisco Standard. Williams's path is an example of Bay Area clubs shaping a career. The club route is covered in the Bay Area AAU club guide.

The team itself moved quickly. The Valkyries played their first game on May 16, 2025 and reached the Finals less than 17 months later, per NBC Sports Bay Area. NBC Bay Area reported that they were the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its first season.

What can a Bay Area girl do this season to start the pathway?

Start at school and club level, because that is where college coaches and the later pro steps begin. The practical steps:

• One school team is the base. The leagues, sections and levels are in the Bay Area high school basketball guide.
• One club or camp adds games outside school. Check ages and cost with Golden State Sports Academy or the She Plays On partners before signing up.
• One watch party puts a family in a room of other fans. Confirm the venue's age rules and arrive early.

After high school, the Bay Area college basketball guide explains the routes from community college to Division I.