Valkyries look to lock it down in Atlanta

The Dream isn’t the first WNBA team forced to navigate a double-booked venue…

Valkyries shoot for a title in Atlanta

Golden State is one win away from history, riding a 3-2 WNBA Finals lead into Atlanta’s State Farm Arena for today’s sold-out midday tipoff against the Dream.

• Atlanta aims to spoil the party at home, looking to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in San Francisco while the Valkyries shoot for a franchise-first title.

• Golden State’s defense ruled the floor in Games 4 and 5, as center Kiah Stokes held Dream star Angel Reese to 4-of-20 shooting while coach Natalie Nakase tapped into her deep bench.

Foul trouble: The Dream raised concerns about WNBA officiating after Monday’s Game 5 loss, as intense physicality continues to steal the postseason spotlight.

• “A lot of us are getting fouled, and they’re not calling it,” Reese said. “Or we’re talking to the ref after and they’re saying, ‘Oh, we’ll get you next time.’”

• “The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous,” coach Karl Smesko echoed. “We should have gone to the foul line six to eight times more just on that.” (See full remarks) 

Tune in: Atlanta hosts Golden State today at 12:30 PM ET (USA).

Dream owners address early Game 6 tipoff

Atlanta is airing its grievances, as the Dream’s owners penned an open letter to fans after Game 6 of the WNBA Finals shifted to a 12:30 PM ET tipoff at State Farm Arena.

• Suzanne Abair, Renee Montgomery, and Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener said they flagged scheduling conflicts two months ago, but their “concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved.”

• “Once again, the city and our fans will fill the building. On a workday. On a school day. In the early afternoon. We do not take that support for granted,” they wrote, admitting that “a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for.” (See full letter)

Ripple effect: The move drew a range of responses, as the Valkyries prepare to shoot for a title while the Dream pushes for a winner-take-all Game 7.

• Rapper Flavor Flav told fans to skip work, calling it “your contribution to gender equality,” as public figures like Hillary Clinton endorsed his message. 

• “I don’t care whether it’s 8 AM, 10 PM, midnight,” shrugged Atlanta’s Allisha Gray. “We got a championship to win.” (See full remarks)

Unrivaled shuffles the deck ahead of Season 3

Unrivaled is reloading, as the offseason league announced a wave of roster and coaching shake-ups ahead of its third season’s January 8th start.

• Phantom BC’s Aliyah Boston will miss the 2027 season while recovering from knee surgery, while Breeze BC’s Kate Martin agreed to a mutual contract termination.

• To fill the gaps, the 3×3 upstart signed one-year deals with Toronto’s Isabelle Harrison and Golden State’s Kaitlyn Chen. (See full report)

Sideline support: The league also introduced staffing changes, bringing back five head coaches while adding three new ones across its eight clubs, with Sed Everett again managing the Player Pool.

• Teresa Weatherspoon (Vinyl), Andrew Wade (Laces), Zach O’Brien (Mist), Nola Henry (Rose), and 2026 Coach of the Year Roneeka Hodges (Phantom) return to the bench, joined by newcomers Pokey Chatman, Jarell Christian, and Barb Turner.

• “We’re proud to welcome back so many talented coaches who have been with Unrivaled since our inaugural season,” said President of Basketball Clare Duwelius. “Adding new coaches with fresh perspectives further strengthens this group.” (See full lineup)

Your daily home for women’s sports is here, as the all-new JWS App debuts this week — delivering everything you need to be a women’s sports fan, all in one place.

• Stay on top of who’s playing, follow all the scores, and catch the latest news while keeping up with all your favorite JWS content.

Check it out: Download the JWS App today.

Sun’s Jennifer Rizzotti wins WNBA exec award

Jennifer Rizzotti is riding high, as the Connecticut Sun president won the 2026 WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award this week.

• Voted on by team presidents, the honor commends Rizzotti for steering the Sun through its final year in Connecticut as the franchise prepares to relocate to Houston next season.

• Under her leadership, the Sun saw a 2,338% year-over-year boost in social engagement and a 50% uptick in sellouts while averaging over 8,700 fans per game in 2026.

Big legacy: Rizzotti now brings her Hall of Fame pedigree to Texas, after leading UConn to its first NCAA title in 1995 and winning two WNBA championships with the Comets.

• “This recognition means a great deal to me,” she said. “I share it with the people who made this season, and my time with the Sun, so meaningful.” (See full release)

Amanda Serrano sets final fight in Puerto Rico

Amanda Serrano is lacing up one last time, as the decorated boxer announced she’ll defend her WBO and WBA featherweight belts against Australia’s Skye Falzon in her final pro bout.

• The 38-year-old seven-division world champion and Puerto Rico’s only undisputed titleholder will step into the ring for Most Valuable Promotions’ “The Last Walk” on January 9th in San Juan.

• At 50-4-1 with 32 knockouts, Serrano needs one more KO to break the record for most knockouts in women’s boxing history — a feat she currently shares with Hall of Famer Christy Martin.

Parting words: Serrano framed the night as a gift to fans and a springboard for the athletes following in her footsteps.

• “There’s still more work to do, and I’ll continue fighting for the next generation long after I hang up my gloves,” she said. (See full report)

Quote of the day

Atlanta forward Angel Reese
on the Dream’s mentality heading into today’s win-or-go-home WNBA Finals clash.