Overview
- The best‑of‑seven Finals begin Saturday, Oct. 17, with Game 1 at Chase Center in San Francisco on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
- Golden State has home‑court advantage after a 32‑12 regular season and sold out every home game this year, a run coverage links to rapid commercial growth.
- Angel Reese leads Atlanta’s defense as the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year while Gabby Williams and four other All‑Defensive selections layer the series with defensive matchups.
- Allisha Gray is listed day‑to‑day after a shooting‑hand procedure and her availability is a key short‑term uncertainty for Atlanta’s offense.
- League changes beyond the court include a split national broadcast schedule between NBC and USA with Peacock streaming, an arena scheduling fix that moved Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, and reported player postseason bonuses of $60,000 for winners and $20,000 for runners‑up plus a $30,000 Finals MVP award.