The WNBA Finals are officially set, and it’s the Atlanta Dream going head-to-head with the Golden State Valkyries for the championship. This postseason has been absolutely wild, from the first ever No. 8 seed taking down a No. 1, to Caitlin Clark getting bounced early, and even A’ja Wilson and the defending champion Aces getting eliminated in the semifinals. Now, we’re down to just two teams, and one is ready to make history.
The Dream’s Resurgence: Angel Reese and a Lockdown Defense
Atlanta is back in the Finals for the first time since way back in 2013, and you know who’s been the main reason? Angel Reese. She came over in an offseason trade with the Chicago Sky, and honestly, she’s been everything the Dream needed and more. Reese didn’t just earn Defensive Player of the Year honors, she led the entire WNBA in rebounds per game and blocks per game, becoming an absolute dominant force in Atlanta’s frontcourt. Talk about an immediate impact.
But it’s not just Reese carrying the load. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and postseason breakout star Jordin Canada are all stepping up, leading an offense that’s averaging a scorching 92.6 points per game throughout these playoffs. And don’t sleep on their defense either. Atlanta finished the regular season with the league’s third-best defense, and get this: they’re rocking the best defense in the playoffs heading into the Finals series. They’ve been on a roll, sweeping the Washington Mystics in the quarterfinals and then rolling over the No. 8 seed New York Liberty in three games to get here. They haven’t lost a single game this postseason!
Golden State’s Surprise Run and Carlan Gay’s Pick
On the other side, we’ve got one of the biggest surprises of the WNBA season in the Golden State Valkyries. Can you believe this is only their second year in the league? They went from a sneaky No. 8 seed in their inaugural season to fighting for the No. 1 seed this year. Gabby Williams might be the face of the franchise, but it’s clearly a total team effort over there. Sixth Player of the Year Janelle Saluan and Veronica Burton are both playing huge roles in their success.
The Valkyries have serious momentum too. They only have one blemish on their postseason record, needing a Game 3 to defeat the pesky Dallas Wings, but then they totally swept the Las Vegas Aces 3-0 to punch their ticket. Sporting News’ Carlan Gay, their Assistant Managing Editor, is sticking with the Atlanta Dream to win it all, predicting Angel Reese for Finals MVP. Gay’s main concern is Allisha Gray’s availability and how much she can impact the game, especially since Golden State has shown they can shut down the league’s best offenses. The Valks had the best defensive rating in the regular season, so this is going to be a defensive slugfest for sure.
Neither of these franchises has ever lifted a WNBA title before, so that’s guaranteed to change this year. The question now is, who’s gonna do it? Is it the Dream, who have waited almost 20 years to get their hands on that trophy? Or is it the young Valkyries franchise, closing in on the ultimate prize in just their second WNBA campaign? This is going to be epic!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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