The WNBA Finals are officially HERE, and it’s Game 1 with the Golden State Valkyries hosting the Atlanta Dream. This matchup? Seriously, few people saw it coming. We’re guaranteed a first-time champion, no matter what goes down over the next couple of weeks. It’s a huge moment for the league, and these two teams are ready to go for it.
Valkyries’ Rapid Rise Shakes Up the League
The Golden State Valkyries are in only their second year of existence, but they’ve already made an enormous leap. Head coach Natalie Nakase led them to be the first WNBA expansion franchise to hit the playoffs in their inaugural campaign. Now? They finished the regular season 32-12, then kicked Dallas out in the opening round, and absolutely *swept* the defending champion Las Vegas in the semi-finals. Talk about making a statement. This team is for real, showing incredible grit and talent to get here so fast.
Dream Defense, Led by Reese, Is Unstoppable
Atlanta’s journey to the finals has been a bit longer, but it’s just as compelling. This is their first finals appearance in 13 years, and they’ve actually lost all three of their previous championship rounds. But under second-year coach Karl Smesko, they’ve completely transformed into a defensive powerhouse. They swept Washington and New York to get to this stage, going unbeaten in the postseason! And can we talk about Angel Reese? She came over from Chicago before the season and has been an absolute revelation, snagging Defensive Player of the Year honors. In the playoffs, she’s averaging 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds. That kind of two-way dominance is tough for any team to handle.
Game 1 tips off at 3:30pm ET (that’s 8:30pm BST for our friends across the pond). This series is a best-of-seven, so there’s a ton of basketball ahead. With both teams playing with so much on the line and looking to make history, you know it’s gonna be electric right from the jump!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Guardian.
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