LOCALIZE IT: The WNBA Finals start Saturday. Players have ties to more than 20 states

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

The WNBA Finals begin Saturday between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries when the best-of-seven series opens in California.

The league will have a first-time champion. The Valkyries became the quickest WNBA expansion franchise to reach the finals since the league first began 30 years ago. That topped the Dream, who did it in their third year. The Dream have reached the Finals for the first time since 2013. The team's Angel Reese is the biggest star left on the WNBA’s brightest stage as she gets her first chance at winning a pro championship.

The Dream will host the Valkyries in Game 3 and Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena, allowing for larger attendance, after the league moved one up a day and altered tipoff of the other to avoid conflicts at the venue.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will now be Wednesday, Oct. 21. Tipoff for Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24 will be 1 p.m. Eastern, 2 1/2 hours before the previously scheduled start time.

The location of the Dream home games had been up in the air because the team wanted to play at State Farm Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks that seats more than 17,000 fans, as opposed to their normal home, Gateway Center Arena, which holds only 3,500. The Valkyries have sold out every game in their 18,064-seat Chase Center in San Francisco in their two seasons.

There were conflicts at State Farm Arena for Game 3, with a concert by singer Sombr on Oct. 22, and for Game 4, with the Hawks holding their home opener the night of Oct. 24.

It’s unclear where a Game 6 would be held if the WNBA Finals go that long because the Hawks have another home game on Oct. 29.

The Dream will play all their home games next season at State Farm Arena after signing a multiyear deal earlier this month.

The Valkyries had their own conflict with Game 2 on Oct. 19, when Doja Cat had a concert scheduled that night at Chase Center. The concert was moved to Oct. 25.

WHERE TO WATCH THE WNBA FINALS

The WNBA Finals will be shown on two networks with NBC showing Game 1 and 4 and USA Network all the other games. Peacock will stream every game of the championship.

View the schedule here.

READ SOME OF AP'S LATEST COVERAGE

Natalie Nakase’s high-energy, hands-on coaching has guided Golden State Valkyries to WNBA Finals

Karl Smesko took a bold leap from FGCU to the Atlanta Dream. It paid off with a WNBA Finals run

Angel Reese trusted Karl Smesko to change her shot, and it’s paying off for WNBA Finals-bound Dream

Owner Joe Lacob believed in Valkyries from Day 1, but reaching WNBA Finals in second year remarkable

Angel Reese caps tumultuous journey, takes center stage with the Dream in the WNBA Finals

Gabby Williams came to Golden State on a mission to win, and she’s now going to the WNBA Finals

FIND PLAYERS WITH TIES NEAR YOU

Players for the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are listed by school and hometown. There are a number of players with international ties.

ALABAMA

DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta Dream forward-guard, played at Auburn, hometown is Fairfield, Alaska.

ALASKA

DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta Dream forward-guard, played at Auburn, hometown is Fairfield, Alaska.

CALIFORNIA

Kaitlyn Chen, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is San Marino, California.

Ashten Prechtel, Valkyries forward, played at Stanford, hometown is Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Te-Hina Paopao, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Oceanside, California.

Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream guard, played at UCLA, hometown is Los Angeles, California.

COLORADO

Ashten Prechtel, Valkyries forward, played at Stanford, hometown is Colorado Springs, Colorado.

CONNECTICUT

Gabby Williams, Valkyries forward, played at Connecticut, hometown is Sparks, Nevada.

Kaitlyn Chen, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is San Marino, California.

Tiffany Hayes, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is Lakeland, Florida.

Kiah Stokes, Valkyries center, played at Connecticut, hometown is Marion, Iowa.

FLORIDA

Tiffany Hayes, Valkyries guard, played at Connecticut, hometown is Lakeland, Florida.

GEORGIA

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Sandersville, Georgia.

ILLINOIS

Veronica Burton, Valkyries guard, played at Northwestern, hometown is Newton, Massachusetts.

IOWA

Kiah Stokes, Valkyries center, played at Connecticut, hometown is Marion, Iowa.

KENTUCKY

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Kentucky, hometown is Cleveland, Tennessee.

LOUISIANA

Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Louisiana State, hometown is Baltimore, Maryland.

MARYLAND

Kaila Charles, Valkyries guard-forward, played at Maryland, hometown is Glenn Dale, Maryland.

Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Louisiana State, hometown is Baltimore, Maryland.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Maryland, hometown is Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Maryland, hometown is Havre de Grace, Maryland.

MASSACHUSETTS

Veronica Burton, Valkyries guard, played at Northwestern, hometown is Newton, Massachusetts.

MICHIGAN

Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Michigan, hometown is Cleveland, Ohio.

NEVADA

Gabby Williams, Valkyries forward, played at Connecticut, hometown is Sparks, Nevada.

NORTH CAROLINA

Miela Sowah, Valkyries guard, played at Duke, hometown is Queensland, Australia.

Indya Nivar, Atlanta Dream guard, played at North Carolina, hometown is Apex, North Carolina.

OHIO

Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream forward, played at Michigan, hometown is Cleveland, Ohio.

PENNSYLVANIA

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Maryland, hometown is Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Laeticia Amihere, Valkyries forward, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Te-Hina Paopao, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Oceanside, California.

Madina Okot, Atlanta Dream center, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mumias, Kenya.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream guard, played at South Carolina, hometown is Sandersville, Georgia.

TENNESSEE

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream guard, played at Kentucky, hometown is Cleveland, Tennessee.

TEXAS

Kayla Thornton, Valkyries forward, played at University of Texas-El Paso, hometown is El Paso, Texas.

WASHINTON, D.C.

Juste Jocyte, Valkyries guard-forward, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Lithuania.

— — —

INTERNATIONAL TIES

AUSTRALIA

Miela Sowah, Valkyries guard, played at Duke, hometown is Queensland, Australia.

Isobel Borlase, Atlanta Dream guard, hometown is Adelaide, Australia.

CANADA

Laeticia Amihere, Valkyries forward, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

FRANCE

Iliana Rupert, Valkyries center, hometown is Pau, France.

Janelle Salaun, Valkyries forward, hometown is Paris, France.

Aminata Gueye, Valkyries center, hometown is Paris, France.

LITHUANIA

Juste Jocyte, Valkyries guard-forward, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Lithuania.

KENYA

Madina Okot, Atlanta Dream center, played at South Carolina, hometown is Mumias, Kenya.

MALI

Sika Kone, Atlanta Dream forward, hometown is Bamako, Mali.

ITALY

Cecilia Zandalasini, Valkyries forward, hometown is Broni, Italy.

Matilde Villa, Atlanta Dream guard, hometown is Lissone, Italy.

ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE

WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 move to State Farm Arena in Atlanta to accommodate more fans

Patience, trades and 1 bold bet: How the Atlanta Dream finally broke through to the WNBA Finals

Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org. View guides published in the last 30 days here.

Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) and forward Gabby Williams (1) hug after their team's series clinching win against the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, right, celebrates with DeWanna Bonner, left, after their team defeated the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school, authorities said.

Authorities found the suspect dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition, Krantz said.

The attacker, identified as a Bend resident, forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors, police said. He was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.

The first 911 call came just before 1 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside Silver Rail Elementary who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, Krantz said.

Further 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived on scene within minutes, Miller said.

Police said they did not know if the attacker knew anyone at the school or whether he had attended.

The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

The school in Bend, Oregon, which is more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

At a news conference Thursday night, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken” and thanked the civilian who pursued the shooter.

“To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.

Reunification of children with their parents was ongoing early Thursday evening.

School buses are lined up outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

A sheriff's deputy walks outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)