Wings vs. Valkyries: Game 3 time and U.S. TV coverage

The Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries meet in a decisive Game 3 on Friday, October 2, 2026. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Pacific at Chase Center, or 9 p.m. Eastern. The team’s official preview confirms ESPN2 coverage in the United States; the supplied sources do not establish a broadcaster for other countries.

The first-round series is tied 1-1. There is no further scenario to calculate: the winner advances to the semifinals, while the loser’s playoff run ends.

Wings vs. Valkyries start time

The official Valkyries preview lists the start for 6 p.m. PT on October 2 in San Francisco. The corresponding times are:

• San Francisco (PT): 6 p.m. Friday, October 2;
• New York (ET): 9 p.m. Friday, October 2;
• Brasília (BRT): 10 p.m. Friday, October 2;
• Metropolitan France and mainland Spain (CEST): 3 a.m. Saturday, October 3.

Schedules can change, so check the official preview close to tip-off. The date rolls over in Europe because the confirmed starting time falls after midnight in those time zones.

How to watch in the United States

The confirmed national U.S. broadcast is on ESPN2. The Valkyries preview also lists audio coverage on 95.7 The Game and the Audacy app, options presented by the team for its audience.

The supplied sources do not confirm coverage in Brazil, France or Spain. ESPN2’s U.S. listing therefore should not be treated as proof of availability elsewhere. Viewers outside the United States should check the WNBA schedule and the listings of the relevant local rights holder shortly before the game.

Why Game 3 is win or go home

The official playoff bracket shows a tied series and identifies the first round as best-of-three. It uses a 1-1-1 format: each club hosts one of the opening two games, and the higher seed returns home for the third if one is required.

Golden State entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed, with Dallas seventh. That places the decider at Chase Center. The winner will meet the team that advances from the Las Vegas Aces–Indiana Fever matchup, which also reached Game 3. The bracket available at publication time does not yet identify that opponent.

How Dallas forced a deciding game

The Valkyries won Game 1 by 24 points after taking the second quarter 37-11. Dallas answered with a 108-100 overtime victory in Game 2, preventing Golden State from closing the series.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 45 points in that second game, identified in the official preview as a WNBA playoff record. Her corner 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter forced overtime. The Wings then won the extra period 15-7, with Ogunbowale scoring 11 of those points. Gabby Williams finished with 36 for Golden State, described by the team as a career high.

The second quarter created the largest separation in both games: Golden State won it by 26 in the opener, while Dallas took it by eight in Game 2. That pattern cannot predict the final score, but it provides a specific stretch to watch in the decider.

The contrast shaping the matchup

Before the playoffs, Golden State had swept the three-game regular-season series and owned the league’s top-ranked defense, allowing 75.1 points per game. Dallas brought a top-five offense and led the WNBA in fast-break scoring at 12.1 points per game. Those figures come from the WNBA’s official first-round preview.

That stylistic contrast remains relevant in Game 3. The Wings will look for opportunities before Golden State can set its half-court defense; the Valkyries will try to restore the control they displayed in the opener. Game 2 nevertheless showed why regular-season history cannot decide an elimination game in advance.

What comes after Game 3

Advancing earns a place in a best-of-five semifinal. The first round begins a three-stage postseason, followed by the semifinals and then the best-of-seven Finals, according to the WNBA’s official format.

For Golden State, victory would secure the first playoff series win in franchise history. Dallas is pursuing its second series victory of the Wings era and its first since 2023. Before tip-off, the essentials are straightforward: October 2 at 6 p.m. PT, ESPN2 as the confirmed U.S. channel, and elimination for the losing team.