WNBA Finals: Dream vs. Valkyries Set for First-Time Champion — SkimNews
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- WNBA Finals tips off Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET) at Chase Center in a best-of-seven between the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries and No. 4 Atlanta Dream — with one becoming a first-time WNBA champion by month's end.
- Golden State Valkyries became the first expansion team in WNBA history to reach the Finals within their first two seasons, sweeping defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals to go 5-1 this postseason.
- Atlanta Dream enter on a 10-game winning streak (tying the 2017 Sparks) and a 22-4 record since a July 11 loss to Portland, though they have been swept in all three prior Finals appearances (2010, 2011, 2013).
- Gabby Williams is the presumptive Finals MVP favorite after a breakout postseason (22.7 PPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 40.5% from three), finishing No. 2 in Defensive Player of the Year voting and transforming Golden State from playoff team to title contender.
- Angel Reese earned 2026 Defensive Player of the Year and posting 18.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals in the playoffs; Atlanta's status of Allisha Gray (hand injury, day-to-day after a procedure) remains the biggest question mark.
- Defense is expected to dominate — the Valkyries and Dream finished Nos. 1 and 2 in defensive rating this season, with Golden State holding five postseason opponents to just 74.2 points per game.
- Depth favors Golden State, whose bench is averaging a league-best 32.3 PPG in the playoffs (vs. Atlanta's 16.2 PPG), with Sixth Player of the Year Janelle Salaun and veteran Tiffany Hayes (13.3 playoff PPG) providing the spark.
Why it matters: Golden State's defensive leap (99.1 rating, No. 1 in the league by a wide margin) and Williams' two-way dominance the key swing factors in a series where Atlanta's 92.6 playoff PPG suggests the Dream must win a shootout they've rarely been forced into this postseason.
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