The 2026 WNBA Finals get underway on Saturday, October 17, in San Francisco. That's because the Golden State Valkyries are the higher-seeded team and hold homecourt advantage over the Atlanta Dream. So, Game 1 will take place from Chase Center.
Much of the attendance based attention around these Finals has surrounded Atlanta, as the Dream were able to move their home games to State Farm Arena after it originally seemed they'd play at Gateway Center Arena, which holds only 3,500 fans. They now will be in a building with the capacity to seat 17,000+.
The Valkyries never faced this predicament, because they play all their games at Chase Center and led the league in home attendance, averaging over 18,000 fans.
This is why their diehard supporters in the venue have earned it the nickname, Ballhalla. And when head coach Natalie Nakase was asked what she wanted from those fans, she called for hostility.
"You know because we're prepping for a great game plan, Ballhalla better be prepping for a game plan," Nakase said.
— the wnba is cool bc for so long it wasn’t (@maya_gee_ess) October 14, 2026Today at the Valkyries practice, I asked head coach Natalie Nakase how she wants GSV fans to receive the Atlanta Dream (on-the-court).
In response, she gave this (almost) mic drop with a strong message: BALLHALLA GET YR GAME PLAN READY. pic.twitter.com/6S3PitWQJs
"So, as soon as they're announced, I need some hostility. If they do a challenge, I need hostility. If they're shooting free throws, I need that thing to be rocking," she added.
It's a good bet that plea will not fall on deaf ears, as the Valkyries fans have stepped up all season, even as the team has picked up some bandwagon supporters along the way.
Nakase Will Be Ready
It's nice for the Valkyries fans to know they can count on the coach as well.
Nakase was the 2025 Coach of the Year, and could have earned the distinction again this year, though that went to Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
Nakase's commitment is unquestioned, and she is unafraid to utilize the personnel working for her in a given game. As is, Golden State has 10 players averaging 10 or more minutes per game in the playoffs.
The Valkyries also boast the WNBA's best defense and attempt more threes than any other squad, with Nakase at the helm and in charge of the strategy.
So, when she is calling for the crowd to bring hostility in the Dream's direction, it's a sure bet she will be keeping that same energy when it comes to the game plan Golden State will have prepared for Atlanta.
Game 1 tips off at 3:30 pm ET on NBC and Peacock on Saturday.
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