WNBA Finals 2026: How to Watch in Australia

Golden State and Atlanta tip off the best-of-seven WNBA Finals on Sunday morning, 18 October (AEDT), with Opals guard Isobel Borlase chasing a ring for the Dream. Here's when every game starts and where to stream it.

The 2026 WNBA Finals are live on ESPN in Australia, which you can stream through Kayo Sports, Foxtel or Disney+, with WNBA League Pass the other main option.

Game 1 starts at 6:30am AEDT on Sunday 18 October, and the series runs up to Game 7 on Sunday 1 November if it goes the distance.

Both semifinals ended in sweeps. The Valkyries knocked out the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to reach the Finals in only their second season, while the Dream ended New York's run to make their first Finals appearance since 2013.

Australian interest runs through Isobel Borlase at Atlanta, with development player Miela Sowah also on the Valkyries' roster.

WNBA Finals 2026 Start Times in Australia

The Finals use a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded Valkyries hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. 

Games 1 and 4 tip off on Saturday afternoon in the US, which means early Sunday starts here, while every other game lands at a far friendlier 11am AEDT.

Here's the full schedule in AEDT (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart):

• Game 1: Sunday 18 October, 6:30am AEDT
• Game 2: Tuesday 20 October, 11am AEDT
• Game 3: Friday 23 October, 11am AEDT
• Game 4: Sunday 25 October, 6:30am AEDT
• Game 5 (if required): Tuesday 27 October, 11am AEDT
• Game 6 (if required): Friday 30 October, 11am AEDT
• Game 7 (if required): Sunday 1 November, 11am AEDT

If you're outside the eastern daylight saving states, the Sunday morning games (1 and 4) start at:

• Brisbane (AEST): 5:30am
• Adelaide (ACDT): 6am
• Darwin (ACST): 5am
• Perth (AWST): 3:30am

And the 11am AEDT games (2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) start at:

• Brisbane (AEST): 10am
• Adelaide (ACDT): 10:30am
• Darwin (ACST): 9:30am
• Perth (AWST): 8am

Perth fans copping a 3:30am alarm for Game 1 is a rough ask, so the replay or a condensed game might be the move there. Game 7, should we get one, falls on Halloween night in the US and Sunday lunchtime here.

How to Watch and Stream the WNBA Finals in Australia

ESPN holds the WNBA rights in Australia under a long-term deal that covers the regular season, the playoffs and the Finals. ESPN is available in three places:

• Kayo Sports: streams ESPN on phones, tablets, smart TVs, consoles and browsers.
• Foxtel: ESPN is part of the Foxtel sports line-up, on the box or via Foxtel Now.
• Disney+: ESPN content now sits inside Disney+, so you can watch the ESPN coverage there without a separate sports subscription.

WNBA League Pass is the other route. It's sold through the WNBA app and website and has been the most complete option for Australian fans across the regular season, with live games and replays.

Check the app before Game 1 to confirm Finals games are live in your region, because playoff availability on international passes can differ from the regular season.

Check the ESPN guide on game day for the exact channel, as games can move between ESPN and ESPN2.

There's no free-to-air option either, since SBS no longer shows WNBA games. With the WNBA Finals wrapping up, it is worth checking when the NBA season starts so you can line up both calendars.

If you're also lining up the start of the NBA season, our guide on how to stream the NBA covers the same platforms in more detail.

WNBA Finals 2026: The Contenders

Neither team has won a WNBA title, so whoever lifts the trophy makes history, and they've taken very different routes to get here.

Golden State Valkyries. The No. 2 seed are in the Finals in only their second season, the quickest any expansion franchise has got there.

They needed a Game 3 to get past Dallas in the first round, then swept the defending champion Aces, holding them to a season-low 60 points in Game 1 and closing out the series with an 87-77 overtime win in Las Vegas. 

Their defence and rebounding are the reason they're here.

Atlanta Dream. The No. 4 seed are yet to lose a game this postseason, sweeping Washington in the first round and then New York in the semis.

Jordin Canada scored 25 in Game 1 against the Liberty, and Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard combined for 43 points in the 85-83 win that sealed the series.

Atlanta have never won a WNBA title, and this is their first Finals since losing in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

The Valkyries have home-court advantage as the higher seed, so Chase Center in San Francisco hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, with Atlanta's State Farm Arena hosting Games 3, 4 and 6.

The Aussies to Watch

This is where it gets interesting for local viewers, because both Finals rosters include an Australian:

• Isobel Borlase (Atlanta Dream): the 22-year-old South Australian guard was named WNBL MVP in February and is now one series away from capping her debut WNBA season with a title. She has earned minutes in Atlanta's playoff rotation, including back-to-back threes in Game 2 of the semis against New York. If you followed the Opals through the FIBA Women's World Cup in September, Borlase gives you a reason to keep watching.
• Miela Sowah (Golden State Valkyries): the development player is part of the Valkyries' squad but is yet to get any minutes in the playoffs.

Our Read on the 2026 Finals

On paper, the Valkyries are the team to beat. They have home court, they swept the defending champions, and ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives them a 62.2 per cent chance of winning the title. 

Their rebounding was the difference against Las Vegas, with Golden State pulling down 52 boards to 25 in Game 1.

We wouldn't write off the Dream, though. Atlanta haven't lost a game this postseason, and with Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese anchoring the paint, they have the size to take on Golden State on the glass in a way the Aces couldn't.

We expect this one to go deep. The best-of-seven format is only in its second year, both teams are chasing a first championship, and with two defence-first sides meeting, a quick sweep looks unlikely.

If the seeding, sweeps and best-of-seven setup have you curious, our guide on how the NBA playoffs work breaks down the same bracket structure on the men's side.

WNBA Finals 2026 Betting Markets

The series winner market is the obvious one, with the Valkyries carrying home court as the higher seed. Atlanta's unbeaten run through the playoffs is a reminder, though, that seeding counts for less at this time of year than the market sometimes suggests.

Game by game, head to head and line betting are the standard options, and total points markets will be shaped by how defence-heavy both teams have been.

Player points, rebounds and assists markets on stars such as Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Gabby Williams tend to draw plenty of attention, and a Finals MVP market usually runs alongside the series. 

Correct series score and series length markets also come into play with a best-of-seven format.

For more on how basketball markets work, our guide on how to bet on the NBA translates neatly to the WNBA, and our explainer on handicap betting in basketball covers line markets.

For the latest WNBA Finals 2026 odds and markets, check out our dedicated WNBA odds page here at Sportsbet.