The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries meet in the WNBA Finals starting on Saturday. You can read all about the series odds and Finals MVP odds here.
Both teams are searching for their first chip in franchise history: the Valkyries are on the league's biggest stage in just their second season as a franchise, while the Dream have made it for the fourth time.
Valkyries' owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber know a thing or two about winning championships after winning four as owners of the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, the Dream have been around since 2008 and have yet to win a title. The team does have plenty of Finals experience - in fact, they've made the championship round three different times in its history.
When was the last time the Atlanta Dream made the WNBA Finals?
The last time the Dream were in the WNBA Finals was in 2013 - 13 years ago. That appearance was their third in four years after they also made it in 2010 and 2011. Angel McCoughtry, Sancho Lyttle, and Tiffany Hayes were big catalysts to those runs. Hayes is now on the Valkyries and has a chance for some revenge against the team she spent her first 10 WNBA seasons with.
However, the Finals have not been kind to the franchise. Despite dominating the early rounds of playoffs in the 2010s, the Dream were swept in all three appearances and have a record of 0-9 in such games.
In 2010, the Dream fell 0-3 to Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson, and the Seattle Storm, though all games finished with a margin of three points or less. In 2011 and 2013, Atlanta ran into Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx and lost by six or more in all six games during those two series'.
Here in 2026, the Dream bring in a big, defensive-oriented frontcourt and a backcourt that can put up points in a hurry. They traded for Angel Reese in the offseason and have seen that pay off in a major way,
They traded for Angel Reese in the offseason and have seen that pay off in a major way. She averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.3 steals during the regular season and has improved her offensive output in the playoffs.
Reese's rebounding prowess, defensive ability - both in the paint and on the perimeter - and her sudden willingness to shoot threes in the playoffs has made her maybe the most valuable player in the playoffs so far. Jordin Canada has been the team's second best player in the postseason, averaging 19.2 points and 8.8 assists while shooting 51.6% from the field.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have played big roles as well. While they've been inefficient from the floor, they've been clutch and can get hot quickly.
While Atlanta has been to the Finals three times, this could be the best team they've assembled in franchise history. Game 1 tips off on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET from the Chase Center in San Francisco.
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