The Golden State Valkyries came into Game 6 looking to close out the WNBA Finals and secure the franchise’s first championship, but they were blitzed by the Atlanta Dream, 80-69, and thus, will have to play in a winner takes all Game 7 on Saturday. However, the Valkyries might have a little history on their side.

Coming into this series, there have been 13 times in WNBA history where the Finals have come down to a deciding game. The team with homecourt advantage has won 11 of those Finals series, as per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. This will be the 14th WNBA Finals to come down to a winner takes all game, and that stat certainly bodes well for the Valkyries against the Dream.

Game 7 of the 2026 WNBA Finals will be held at Chase Center, the home arena of the Valkyries. During the playoffs this season, they are 6-1 on their home court with their sole loss coming to the Dream in Game 2 of this Finals series.

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This is also going to be the second time in the last three seasons that the WNBA Finals has come down to the final game of the series, as per Philippou. Although the league only switched to a best-of-seven format last year, in 2024, the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx, 3-2, when it was still a best-of-five series.

No matter who wins the series on Saturday, it will be the first title in franchise history for both teams. The Valkyries are only in their second year of existence as an expansion team, while the Dream have reached the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013 but were unable to cross the finish line.