The pro women’s game, all year long.
The WNBA Finals are under way between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream. Tied 3–3. HoopWomen has the schedule with every TV channel, the standings, our own end-of-season awards, and what happens after the last game: free agency, the draft, expansion, and the leagues that play through the winter.
Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Finals: Dream vs. Valkyries
Both semifinals are best of five. The New York Liberty got here as the No. 8 seed by sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, winning both games by 16. The Golden State Valkyries, in only their second season, came back from 16 down in the third quarter of Game 3 to knock out Dallas. Las Vegas beat Indiana in three, and Atlanta swept Washington.
On October 29, Atlanta beat Golden State 80–69 in Game 6 of the Finals. Next up is Game 7 of the Finals between Atlanta and Golden State on Saturday, October 31.
Dream vs. Valkyries Tied 3–3
Golden State has home court. Times are Central.
| Game | Date and tip | Where | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat Oct 17 · Final: Valkyries 68, Dream 64 | San Francisco | NBC |
| 2 | Mon Oct 19 · Final: Dream 79, Valkyries 65 | San Francisco | CNBC, E!, USA Network |
| 3 | Wed Oct 21 · Final: Dream 97, Valkyries 71 | Atlanta | CNBC, USA Network |
| 4 | Sat Oct 24 · Final: Valkyries 67, Dream 62 | Atlanta | NBC |
| 5 | Mon Oct 26 · Final: Valkyries 64, Dream 55 | San Francisco | CNBC, Peacock, USA Network |
| 6 | Thu Oct 29 · Final: Dream 80, Valkyries 69 | Atlanta | E!, Peacock, SYFY, USA Network |
| 7 | Sat Oct 31, 7:00 PM | San Francisco | CNBC, Peacock, USA Network |
Liberty vs. Dream Atlanta wins 3–0
The Dream won the series and moved on to the Finals. Times are Central.
| Game | Date and tip | Where | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Oct 4 · Final: Dream 92, Liberty 82 | Atlanta | ABC |
| 2 | Wed Oct 7 · Final: Dream 101, Liberty 98 | Atlanta | ESPN |
| 3 | Fri Oct 9 · Final: Dream 85, Liberty 83 | New York | ESPN2 |
Aces vs. Valkyries Golden State wins 3–0
The Valkyries won the series and moved on to the Finals. Times are Central.
| Game | Date and tip | Where | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Oct 4 · Final: Valkyries 71, Aces 60 | San Francisco | NBC |
| 2 | Wed Oct 7 · Final: Valkyries 83, Aces 81 | San Francisco | NBCSN, Peacock |
| 3 | Fri Oct 9 · Final: Valkyries 87, Aces 77 | Las Vegas | NBCSN, Peacock |
* Played only if the series is still undecided. Schedule as published by the league; our playoff page updates twice a day with results and series scores, and the semifinal preview has more on each matchup.
How the regular season ended
Each team played 44 games. Minnesota finished first at 33–11, one game ahead of Golden State and two ahead of Las Vegas. The top eight records made the playoffs regardless of conference.
Toronto and Portland, the two expansion teams, went 11–33 and 17–27. Seattle had the league’s worst record at 8–36.
| Seed | Team | W–L | First round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Lynx | 33–11 | Lost to NY, 0–2 |
| 2 | Golden State Valkyries | 32–12 | Beat Dallas, 2–1 |
| 3 | Las Vegas Aces | 31–13 | Beat Indiana, 2–1 |
| 4 | Atlanta Dream | 30–14 | Beat Washington, 2–0 |
| 5 | Washington Mystics | 28–16 | Lost to Atlanta |
| 6 | Indiana Fever | 28–16 | Lost to Las Vegas |
| 7 | Dallas Wings | 27–17 | Lost to Golden State |
| 8 | New York Liberty | 26–18 | Beat Minnesota, 2–0 |
HoopWomen Awards 2026
These are our picks for the 2026 regular season, chosen by HoopWomen’s editors. They are not the league’s official awards, which are voted on by a media panel and announced separately.
Player of the Year
Kelsey Mitchell
Indiana Fever
She carried Indiana’s offense from the first game to the last and was the league’s most dangerous perimeter scorer. Our pick for the player who meant the most.
Defensive Player of the Year
Angel Reese
Chicago Sky
Rookie of the Year
Olivia Miles
Minnesota Lynx
Coach of the Year
Natalie Nakase
Golden State Valkyries
Sixth Player of the Year
Janelle Salaün
Golden State Valkyries
Most Improved Player
Jessica Shepard
Most Reliable Player
A’ja Wilson
Las Vegas Aces
An award we made up: the player you could count on every single night.
All-WNBA First Team
- A’ja Wilson
- Breanna Stewart
- Olivia Miles
- Caitlin Clark
- Kelsey Mitchell
All-WNBA Second Team
- Angel Reese
- Paige Bueckers
- Jackie Young
- Rhyne Howard
- Gabby Williams
All-Rookie Team
- Olivia Miles
- Azzi Fudd
- Flau’jae Johnson
- Sydney Taylor
- Pauline Astier
After the last game
The WNBA season is short, about five months from opening night to the Finals. The rest of the year is when rosters get rebuilt. Here is the order things happen in.
- By October 31
The Finals end
A seven-game series would finish on Halloween. The champion’s parade usually follows within days.
- October to April
Club seasons overseas
Leagues in Europe, Australia and Asia start up. Many WNBA players sign there for the winter; the pay at the top clubs can rival a WNBA salary.
- January to March
Unrivaled
The 3-on-3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart plays its season in Miami, with WNBA players on every roster.
- Winter
Free agency
Teams re-sign or let go of their own players, then the open market starts. The exact dates come from the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
- April
The WNBA Draft
Usually held in April, a few days after the NCAA women’s championship game. See every No. 1 pick since 1997 in our draft history.
- May
Training camp and opening night
Camps open in late April, preseason games follow, and the regular season starts in mid-May.
Fifteen teams now, eighteen by 2030
The league played with 12 teams from 2010 through 2024. Golden State made it 13 in 2025, and Toronto and Portland made it 15 this year. Three more cities have been awarded teams.
- 2025
- Golden State Valkyries, San Francisco
- 2026
- Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire
- 2028
- Cleveland
- 2029
- Detroit
- 2030
- Philadelphia
The game doesn’t stop in the winter
Turkey’s top league pays the most, with Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray among the biggest spenders. Spain, France and Italy have deep leagues, EuroLeague Women crowns a continental club champion each spring, and Australia’s WNBL runs during the American winter. Our overseas guide lists each league, its season and its top clubs, and the global guide on girlhoop.com covers the rest of the map.
Unrivaled
3-on-3, half court, played at one arena in Miami from January to March. Players hold equity in the league.
Athletes Unlimited
A short season where rosters are redrafted every week and players earn points as individuals, not just as a team.
Olympics and FIBA
The U.S. won its eighth straight Olympic gold in Paris, beating France 67–66 in the final. The next Olympic tournament is Los Angeles in 2028.
Every medalist since 1976, on girlhoop.com
Where the games are on
2026 is the first season of the league’s new national TV deals, so games are spread across more channels than ever. Here is who carries what.
| ABC and ESPN | Weekend afternoon and weeknight games, and the Liberty–Dream semifinal. |
|---|---|
| NBC and Peacock | Sunday games, Peacock streams, and the 2026 Finals. |
| USA Network | Weeknight games and most of the Finals. |
| Prime Video | Thursday doubleheaders, included with Prime. |
| ION | Friday Night Hoops, free over the air. |
| CBS and Paramount+ | A handful of weekend games. |
| WNBA League Pass | Out-of-market games that aren’t on national TV. |
Going to a game
Playoff tickets go on sale as each series is set, and resale prices move fast once a matchup is known. Our ticket pages list every upcoming game with the date and venue, plus links to buy from the primary seller and from resale marketplaces so you can compare.
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See the women's game in person. TicketNetwork carries verified resale tickets for WNBA and NBA matchups with a 100% buyer guarantee, even for sold-out nights.
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More on HoopWomen
- The WNBA, explainedHow the league, the season and the playoffs work, for new fans.
- 2026 season scheduleEvery regular-season game with tip time and channel.
- Draft historyEvery No. 1 pick since 1997 and where they went to school.
- Player profilesBackground on the players who drive the league.
- Women who have dunkedEvery in-game dunk on record, from Georgeann Wells in 1984 on.
- Tunnel fitsPregame arrival outfits, in video.
- HighlightsThe newest game recaps from the league’s channel.
- NewsHeadlines from around the league, linked to the source.
Looking for college, high school or playground basketball? That’s our sister site, girlhoop.com.
Go to girlhoop.comPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, used under their licenses: tunnel at Target Center by Lorie Shaull (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gainbridge Fieldhouse by Sarah Stierch (CC0); Climate Pledge Arena by SounderBruce (CC BY-SA 4.0); Fenerbahçe huddle by Sakhalinio (CC BY-SA 4.0); Lynx vs. Wings by John Mac (CC BY-SA 4.0). Images were resized for the web.
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