2026 WNBA season

The Indiana Fever were eliminated in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

Clark said that Dick's Sporting Goods was always a stop before the start of any sports season when she was growing up.

Clark's first signature shoe launch was the largest women's signature shoe launch in Nike's history.

Over the seven-game Finals series, Reese committed 27 turnovers, setting a WNBA Finals record.

Reese is heading to Florida for the break to spend time with her boyfriend, Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr.

Angel Reese announced a six-month break from her podcast after the Atlanta Dream lost Game 7 of the WNBA Finals to the Golden State Valkyries.

Cunningham said she believes the WNBA's 3-point contest selection process is 'political' and that she probably will never get chosen regardless of how well she shoots.

Cunningham's estimate and description of the FBI's role have not been independently verified.

Cunningham said she thinks coaches are too soft on athletes nowadays and called for a return to 'hard coaching.'

Monica McNutt said in response to Caitlin Clark's flagrant foul on Angel Reese that if it was the other way around, the conversation would have gone differently.

In 2024, during her rookie season, Caitlin Clark said people should not be using her name to push racist or misogynistic agendas.

Monica McNutt claimed on the podcast that Caitlin Clark called out things she does not support, which McNutt said she had not heard vocally from Clark many times.

The Golden State Valkyries were formed in 2024.

The Golden State Valkyries won the Women's NBA title in their second season.

Gabby Williams scored 30 points in the game.

The Valkyries had the best defense in the league by some distance.

Gabby Williams was named WNBA Finals MVP.

Nakase won two championships as a bench coach with Las Vegas.

The Valkyries became the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025.

Co-owner Peter Guber said they need to build a bigger trophy case.

Kiah Stokes is now a four-time WNBA champion.

The Associated Press reported on October 20 that the WNBA suspended its anthem protocols in 2017.

Howard said she is on the floor for the national anthem every time she wears a USA jersey.

Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said the team was focused on the Finals when asked about the anthem absences.

The WNBA expanded the Finals to a best-of-seven format in 2025.

Nielsen made Big Data + Panel its standard in 2025.

NBC reported 1.9 million viewers for Game 4 across NBC and Peacock, calling it the most-watched Game 4 in WNBA Finals history.

Atlanta's Allisha Gray scored 23 points on five 3-pointers in Game 6.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday afternoon.

Rhyne Howard scored 21 points for the Dream in Game 6.

Gabby Williams led all scorers with 26 points in Game 6.

Allisha Gray was playing with the pinky and ring finger of her shooting hand taped following minor surgery.

The Valkyries outscored the Dream 43-35 in the second half of Game 6.

Angel Reese shot 5-for-18 from the floor and committed six turnovers in Game 6.

Kiah Stokes ended a streak of six consecutive playoff games with at least three blocks by going scoreless without a block in 20 minutes.

Both teams left the court for the national anthem, marking their sixth consecutive absence during the Finals.

Game 7 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Atlanta and Golden State will play the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6.

Golden State coach Natalie Nakase described the anthem absences as part of the team's pregame routine.

Valkyries forward Gabby Williams denied that the team's absence was a protest.

Heiress Harris, the 10-year-old daughter of rapper T.I., sang the national anthem before Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena.

Sophie Cunningham said the FBI is watching approximately 20 people for her.

Cunningham made her statements during an appearance on Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast.

Sophie Cunningham is a guard for the Indiana Fever.

The Dream said they raised concerns with the WNBA months ago about potential scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena with the Atlanta Hawks.

Saturday's Game 4 was a doubleheader between the Dream and the Hawks.

The Dream have been playing their playoff and WNBA Finals games at State Farm Arena, which seats 17,000 fans.

Dream owners Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and Renee Montgomery said the team raised concerns about scheduling conflicts two months before the Finals.

The Atlanta Dream released an open letter on Wednesday expressing frustration over WNBA Finals venue scheduling.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens urged employers and educators to extend grace to Dream fans on Thursday afternoon.

Dream head coach Karl Smesko said the contact allowed on Reese compared to other players was ridiculous.

Through five games, Atlanta's advantage in free throw attempts was 130-78.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese posted 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 97-71 win in Game 3.

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries is scheduled for Thursday at 12.30pm EDT.

State Farm Arena can seat more than 17,000 fans.

The WNBA, NBA, Dream, Golden State, and the Finals' broadcasting partners had discussions over the weekend about the venue problem.

Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton each scored 13 points for the Valkyries in Game 5.

The championship series continues on Thursday in Atlanta.

Angel Reese grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds in Game 5.

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Eastern time on a Thursday.

The Atlanta Dream moved Game 6 from Gateway Center Arena, which has a capacity of 3,500, to State Farm Arena, which has a capacity of 17,000.

The anthem practice went largely unnoticed until the WNBA Finals.

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries did not stay on the court for the national anthem during the WNBA Finals.

Angel Reese wore a T-shirt reading 'Protect Black women' to Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.

The WNBA moved the tip-off time for a potential Game 6 to 12:30 p.m. ET.

Both teams left the floor before the national anthem and returned after it completed during Finals games.

The early Game 6 start time was chosen because of conflicts at State Farm Arena related to the NBA season having started.

There is a Hawks home game on Thursday night at State Farm Arena.

The WNBA embraced 'Black Lives Matter' with signage on its floors and uniforms.

The WNBA has seen a rise in TV ratings and attendance numbers.

Natasha Cloud got into a yelling match with Enes Kanter Freedom while he was sitting in the stands during a game.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium holds 72,000 people.

The author observed that the turf at Texas' home stadium appears gray during night games on the regular TV broadcast.

Ted Cruz gave out trophies at the F1 race in Austin.

The Athletic reported the Hawks could have moved their Thursday night game to Friday, but that would have created a Friday-Saturday back-to-back for both NBA teams.

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Game 4 tipped off in the afternoon on Saturday to accommodate the Hawks' home opener against the Houston Rockets that night.

Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton recommended fans call in sick to watch the game.

Rapper Flavor Flav posted on social media that Thursday is a paid holiday because he said so.

Ole Miss women's coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin criticized the 12:30 p.m. tipoff for a WNBA Finals game on social media.

Kiah Stokes is a center for the Golden State Valkyries.

LeBron James dismissed Trump's criticism as a sign of a slow news day.

Trump called LeBron James a "disgrace" in a Truth Social post and demanded he apologize.

The Golden State Valkyries closed the second quarter on an 18-6 run to take a 42-26 lead into halftime.

The Atlanta Dream committed 14 first-half turnovers in Game 4.

Angel Reese went scoreless in the first quarter of Game 4.

The WNBA's 2026 official rulebook states that players, coaches, and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture during the national anthem.

Atlanta entered Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals series.

Valkyries forward Gabby Williams denied that the anthem absences are meant as a protest.

OutKick was not called on during Angel Reese's media availability and did not get an opportunity to ask her about the anthem.

Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko declined to comment on the anthem and his team's absences.

The WNBA, NBA, and both teams' front offices have not responded to OutKick's emailed requests for comment about the anthem absences.

Freedom named Kevin Durant, Patrick Beverley, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson as current and former NBA players who have criticized him.

Freedom claimed some NBA players privately support conservative causes and President Trump but conceal those views out of fear of being canceled.

Freedom said an assistant coach told him privately that he watched Fox News but did not want teammates to know out of fear of being shunned.

Atlanta and the Hawks arranged for the Dream to host Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena, moving the championship games from the smaller Gateway Center Arena.

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals was between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena.

Freedom accused the NBA and WNBA of kicking him out of the game for supporting women.

Game 4 of the WNBA Finals takes place in Atlanta on Saturday.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

Angel Reese said after the game that the Dream are still upset they lost the first game of the Finals.

Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC at the Dream's home arena.

Angel Reese hit both of her three-point attempts in the game.

The Dream outscored the Valkyries 51-31 in the second half.

The Atlanta Dream took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals series.

Game 3 was played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Game 3 was a sellout.

Caitlin Clark appeared in a new Xfinity commercial with Cookie Monster.

The Indiana Fever were eliminated from the postseason by the Las Vegas Aces.

Angel Reese is playing in the WNBA Finals.

Royce White is a former NBA player.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Congress that Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom are ineligible to play because they are men.

The WNBA had already rejected White's and Freedom's eligibility through statements attributed to league sources in August.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center.

Before Game 2, the Dream had an 0-10 record in WNBA Finals games.

Both teams stayed off the court during the national anthem before Game 2.

The WNBA Finals series is tied 1-1 after Game 2.

The Golden State Valkyries' loss in Game 2 was their first loss in regulation since a 73-70 defeat at Chicago on August 21.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

Before Games 1 and 2 of the WNBA Finals, both the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries walked off the court before the singing of the national anthem and returned after it was over.

The video clip posted by Jennifer Sey received four million views on X.

The Associated Press Sports Editors added a category called Excellence in Transgender Sports Coverage to their annual writing contest.

The WNBA did not answer OutKick's questions about the anthem absences before publication.

Both WNBA Finals teams left the court before the national anthem was performed at Game 1 on Saturday at Chase Center.

The two Finals teams are the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries.

Jennifer Sey is the founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics.

A mother and daughter at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game were threatened with ejection for wearing XX-XY T-shirts and were forced to put Atlanta Dream T-shirts over them.

A Seattle Storm co-owner was fined and suspended after verbally attacking teenage girls wearing XX-XY T-shirts at a Storm vs. Fever game earlier in the season.

The teams combined for 81 points in the first half.

Nakase also said, "Our defense is terrible right now!"

Williams scored all 16 of her first-half points in the second quarter.

The Courage have lost four of their last five matches.

Goals from Melanie Barcenas and Trinity Byars lifted the Wave to a road victory over the Courage, clinching a top-four playoff seed for San Diego.

Barcenas scored her seventh goal of the season, breaking the NWSL single-season record for goals by a teenager.

A ballot measure in Washington would require all girls to verify their identity by a doctor.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a 'Trans Kids Belong' shirt for the Lynx's game against the Fever in August.

When the Indiana Fever played the Seattle Storm in late July, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted two XX-XY-sponsored courtside attendees.

FGCU advanced to the NCAA tournament 10 times with Smesko as head coach.

Karl Smesko coached the Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball team before becoming head coach of the Atlanta Dream.

Chelsea Lyles subsequently joined Smesko's staff in Atlanta.

The biggest regular-season WNBA game on ABC in 2026 featured the Indiana Fever.

Indiana's game against New York on July 18 on CBS averaged 2.58 million viewers.

Indiana's game against Chicago on Aug. 23 averaged 3.31 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.

Cheryl Reeve signed Natasha Howard, who started all 44 games and earned an All-Star starting spot.

Since 2017, Minnesota has reached the WNBA Finals once, losing to New York in 2024.

Olivia Miles finished second in MVP voting.

The Dream's Finals opponent is the Golden State Valkyries.

Game 4 will remain on Saturday, Oct. 24, with tipoff moved from 3:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the general public do not go on sale until Oct. 16, five days before Game 3.

Craig Carton said State Farm Arena chose to book other events instead of saving dates for a possible Atlanta Dream Finals appearance.

Craig Carton said the first event at State Farm Arena instead of the Atlanta Dream game is a performer or band named SOMBR.

Craig Carton said the WNBA Finals games in Atlanta will not be played at State Farm Arena.

SOMBR is scheduled to perform at State Farm Arena at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 22.

The Atlanta Hawks are scheduled to play the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 24.

The Atlanta Dream are playing the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Finals in a best-of-7 series beginning Saturday in California.

Global revenue in women's football is expected to rise from about $581m in 2024 to over $1bn in 2027.

42% of players were not provided with a pension.

Fifa introduced maternity regulations in 2021 and updated them two years ago.

Golden State won all three regular-season meetings with Atlanta.

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase publicly stated support for transgender women participating in women's sports.

Dream players wore 'Vote Warnock' shirts supporting Democrat Raphael Warnock in his challenge to then-co-owner Kelly Loeffler in 2020.

The attendance at Michelob Ultra Arena for Game 3 was 10,218.

A'ja Wilson scored 21 points for the Aces in Game 3.

Kalani Brown, listed at 6-foot-7, started alongside A'ja Wilson in Game 3 for the Aces.

The 2026 WNBA Finals appearance is Atlanta's first since 2013.

Angel Reese won an NCAA women's basketball national championship with LSU.

Angel Reese told ESPN 'I manifested this' after the Game 3 win.

The column acknowledged Cunningham's value as a protective teammate, saying her effectiveness 'didn't shine on a traditional stat sheet.'

Cunningham addressed the criticism on an episode of 'No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen.'

An Oct. 6 column by New York Times-owned The Athletic argued that Indiana should move on from Cunningham.

Reese reached the WNBA finals before Caitlin Clark.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta's leading scorer, was injured and did not play in Friday's victory.

The Atlanta Dream will face the Golden State Valkyries in the best-of-seven WNBA finals beginning on October 17.

A'ja Wilson is a 3-time champion.

Sophie Cunningham's parents were evicted from their home during the 2008 financial crisis.

A'ja Wilson's father, Roscoe C. Wilson Jr., was a former professional basketball player in Europe.