The 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream is shaping up to be a historic championship series, with several historic milestones surrounding the matchup. For starters, both teams are competing for what would be their first-ever championship, as neither franchise has won a WNBA title.
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As reported by Front Office Sports, this year’s WNBA Finals is also on the verge of making another history, becoming the most expensive in league history, with ticket prices reaching some of the highest levels ever recorded for the championship series. Specifically, according to TicketData, tickets for Game 1, which will take place at the 18,000-seat Chase Center in San Francisco, had a get-in price of $214 as of Thursday afternoon.
This represents a 529% increase over last year’s Finals opener between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces in Las Vegas, which recorded a final get-in price of just $34. In fact, the highest get-in price of that series was $82 for Game 2, still considerably lower than the current price for this year’s opening game.
However, although this represents a massive increase compared to last year’s numbers, the current Game 1 price is still slightly below the most expensive WNBA Finals ticket recorded in 2024, Game 2 of the Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty at the Barclays Center. That game had a get-in price of $225, which is $11 higher than the current price for this year’s opener.
It certainly feels like prices could rise further before the eventual tip-off on Saturday. And even if they do not, there is still the possibility that tickets for subsequent games could become more expensive, especially given that both teams are chasing their first WNBA championship. With the Valkyries and Dream both hoping to make history, fans could be eager to witness the moment their team finally lifts the trophy.
In fact, according to TicketData’s Keith Pagello, this demand surrounding both teams could eventually push ticket prices beyond the $225 record set during Game 2 of the 2024 Finals between the Lynx and Liberty.
“Historically, it’s typically been one team driving the higher prices, rather than both,” TicketData’s Keith Pagello told Front Office Sports on Wednesday. “So if you’re looking at the series as a whole, across all seven potential games in both cities, there’s a stronger argument to be made that this could be the most expensive Finals ever.”
The Golden State Valkyries have also confirmed that Game 2 will take place at Chase Center after an earlier arena scheduling conflict was resolved. And get-in prices for that game are already hovering around $200, while tickets for a potential Game 5 in San Francisco are also priced at approximately the same level. A potential Game 7 has an even higher get-in price of $416.
Like the Valkyries, the Atlanta Dream have also faced arena scheduling conflicts, prompting the WNBA to adjust the dates and times of Games 3 and 4 so the team can play at the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena instead of the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena, where it played most of its regular-season home games.
As of Thursday afternoon, however, tickets for those games were considerably cheaper than those for Games 1 and 2. Game 3 had a get-in price of $96, while Game 4 was priced at $114. This difference could partly be attributed to the late venue change.
“Bittersweet Moment”: Angel Reese Opens Up on Atlanta Dream’s State Farm Arena Move Ahead of WNBA Finals
Moving Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals to State Farm Arena gives the Atlanta Dream an opportunity to accommodate more fans as they prepare to host the Golden State Valkyries. However, the team has already built a special connection with Gateway Center Arena, particularly with the fans who have supported them throughout their time there. And so for Angel Reese, leaving the 3,500-seat venue for the much larger arena comes with mixed emotions.
“It’s a bittersweet moment because I do love Gateway so much and I love the intimacy of being here,” Reese said. “All the fans coming out and supporting us, and even if we couldn’t go to State Farm, I was going to be grateful to just be able to be here and have everybody here. I am looking forward to everybody showing up and supporting us at State Farm.”
The Atlanta Dream were initially set to play their Finals home games at Gateway Center Arena because the original schedule clashed with existing bookings at State Farm Arena. Those commitments included a concert by pop artist Sombr on October 22 and the Atlanta Hawks’ National Basketball Association regular-season home opener on October 24.
However, Game 3 was moved a day earlier to Wednesday, October 21, allowing the Dream to avoid the Sombr concert scheduled for the following night. Game 4, meanwhile, was moved to a 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time tip-off on Saturday, October 24, giving arena crews enough time to convert the court before the Hawks host the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time later that evening. These adjustments have now cleared the way for the Dream to welcome more fans to the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena.
However, this will not be the first time the Dream have played at State Farm Arena this season. Before the Finals, the team had already played nine games at the venue during the 2026 calendar year. Due to overwhelming demand, the Dream moved six of their 22 regular-season home games from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena. They also played all three of their home playoff contests downtown during the first round and the semifinals.
The Dream are also set to make State Farm Arena their primary home court next season after securing a deal that will see them play all 25 of their home games at the venue.