The WNBA Finals are about to give two franchises a chance to make history, but the demand to witness that moment in person is already telling its own story. Starting October 17, the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will battle for their first-ever championship, as Atlanta returns to the Finals for the first time in 13 years. So with the series drawing significant interest, the rush to secure tickets has already reached another level.
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Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series are scheduled to take place at State Farm Arena, which holds more than 17,000 fans. However, the demand for those games appears to be far greater than the venue’s capacity. According to USA TODAY reporter Meghan L. Hall, approximately 42,000 people were in the queue during the Dream’s presale for Games 3 and 4 of the Finals.
“A source with direct knowledge of the situation tells USA TODAY that about 42K people were in queue during the Dream’s presale,” Hall wrote on X.
The general ticket sale has yet to begin, but Hall’s source indicated that only “limited quantities” remain, adding that the games are “close to being sold out.”
The championship battle between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries has already made history at the ticket window. According to TickPick, the current get-in price for Game 3 stands at $201, making it the most expensive WNBA Finals game on record. To put that figure into perspective, Game 1 of last year’s Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury had a get-in price of just $23.
The demand for tickets is already through the roof, but can the Atlanta Dream turn that excitement into a championship run? The Dream and Valkyries have both made convincing cases for why they deserve to lift the trophy, but only one can finish its historic run with a championship. And while Atlanta has been flawless in the postseason, Golden State has already shown it can pose a serious challenge.
Angel Reese and Co. will have to first navigate two road games at Chase Center, where Gabby Williams and her teammates will have an opportunity to capitalize on home-court advantage and establish control early in the series. The challenge is that neither side has given its opponents much reason to doubt its championship credentials.
Atlanta enters the Finals after a 30-14 regular season and a semifinal sweep of the New York Liberty. Golden State, meanwhile, finished 32-12 to secure the league’s second-best record before sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
For the Dream, defense has been the foundation of their success. Reese, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, has anchored the paint, while Atlanta’s perimeter defenders have consistently made life difficult for opposing offenses. Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada are averaging 2.2 steals per game apiece in the playoffs, with Allisha Gray adding another 2.0. That pressure has helped Atlanta disrupt offensive possessions and force opponents into uncomfortable situations.
But they didn’t reach this stage just by shutting down opponents. The Atlanta Dream have also found ways to overwhelm them offensively, averaging 92.6 points per game – the highest mark among playoff teams.
Golden State, however, presents a different kind of challenge. The Valkyries’ depth could become a major advantage as the series progresses. Their bench averaged 35.9 points per game during the regular season. And that ability to generate offense beyond the starting lineup gives Golden State another way to challenge Atlanta’s defense.
The Valkyries have also won all three regular-season meetings against the Dream. And that history gives Golden State reason to believe it can match up with Atlanta, even as Reese and Co. arrive riding an unbeaten postseason run.
So with Atlanta’s defensive intensity and scoring firepower going up against Golden State’s depth and regular-season success, the Finals could come down to which team imposes its style first. The Dream have the momentum, but the Valkyries have already shown they can make this matchup difficult. And with a championship on the line, the battle for control in the opening two games could shape the entire series.