NFL
By: Nick Andre
The WNBA season is almost a wrap. It’s been an eventful season, featuring high-level plays, moments, and players who have stood out among their peers. Today is the beginning of the final chapter as the Atlanta Dream face the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Finals.
The ultimate goal for the Dream was to be in the best position to win a championship. The building process began in 2022, when they drafted talents such as Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon. Since then, the Dream Front Office has continued to acquire key pieces like Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada, Brionna Jones, and others. Last season, the Dream finished with the most wins in franchise history under new Head Coach Karl Smesko. However, their regular-season success didn’t translate to the playoffs, as they lost in the first round to the Indiana Fever.
After their first-round exit, the Dream had to regroup and figure out a better plan. With elite talent on both ends, they needed a tone setter and natural-born leader to bring life to the locker room. That’s where they struck gold as they traded for All-Star forward Angel Reese. Although Reese was entering her third season with zero playoff experience, she brought a winner’s mentality that the Dream needed to succeed.
The Dream finished the 2026 season with the same record as they did in the previous year (30–14). Despite the ups and downs the team faced at the beginning of the season, the team hit their stride late in the year as they won nine of their last 10 games. Also, Atlanta made a late-season acquisition as they signed two-time champion DeWanna Bonner, who played for the Phoenix Mercury earlier in the year. As the playoffs were underway, the team was arguably the hottest in the WNBA. Unlike last year, their energy translated into postseason play as they found ways to dominate in their series.
The journey began in the first round against the Washington Mystics. The young team from DC was ecstatic about being on one of the biggest stages in basketball. Despite a strong start in game one, the Dream had to put the kids to bed. They outscored the Mystics 29-12 and kept their foot on the gas to secure a 92-77 victory. Luckily, the momentum continued as they swept the series in game two with a 93-75 finish.
Winning the series by a 16.5-point margin showed how dominant the Atlanta Dream were. Yes, they received quality play from their stars offensively. However, the biggest impression was on the defensive end, as they held the Mystics to 39 percent shooting for the series. There’s an old saying that states, “Defense wins championships”. Throughout the season, the Dream have placed an emphasis on that quote as they understood the importance of getting stops on that end. As they advanced to the semifinals, their defense had to carry over as they prepared for a series against the New York Liberty.
The Liberty were not your average eighth seed. They showed that in the first round as they swept the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. A quick reminder that the Liberty are coming off a WNBA championship two years ago, led by the dominance of Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu. Although the Dream were the higher seed in this series, they knew they had their hands full as they battled against a more experienced team.
The series went in a direction that many fans didn’t expect. Truthfully, the Dream made the Liberty look like puppies. Despite New York having a size advantage, that didn’t stop the young and hungry Dream from competing. Despite losing Allisha Gray in game one due to an injury, Atlanta had other players contribute in her absence. As expected, emerging started with Angel Reese as she averaged 20.7 points along with 7.7 rebounds. Jordin Canada was another major factor as she averaged 22.3 points and 2 steals. Once again, game one set the tone for the series as the Dream forced 19 Liberty turnovers. As the momentum carried over, they swept the series to make their way to the WNBA Finals.
The last time the Dream were in the Finals was 2013. In fact, they made the finals three times during a five-year span led by Angel McCoughtry. On this occasion, the Dream had an opportunity to make history by not only winning a series but winning a Finals game, as the franchise had been swept in the previous three Finals matches.
Once again, the road to a title wasn’t going to be easy. The Dream had to prepare for an intense series against the Golden State Valkyries, a highly impressive team led by Head Coach Natalie Nakase. The Valkyries’ journey to the Finals was impressive. They showed their mentality through the first round against the Dallas Wings, followed by sweeping the Las Vegas Aces to clinch their Finals spot. Like the Dream, the Valkyries are walking into the series with a lot of confidence to win their first championship.
The biggest key for the Dream in this series is to remain disciplined on offense. The Valkyries are the number one defensive team and find success with their active hands and physicality. Sure, they’ll try to force the Dream to ill-advised possessions. However, Atlanta will challenge them with great ball movement, floor spacing, and controlling the paint.
Angel Reese will be the biggest X-Factor for the Dream offensively. No, this does not mean she has to be the team’s leading scorer. Reese has different ways creating shots for her teammates. One of them is playing on the routine as she can make lead passes while also setting ball screens. As Reese remains effective in offense, it allows her teammates to shine on that end of the floor as well. The Valkyries will have their hands full as they look to slow down the talent of Atlanta. However, finding ways to limit Reese gives them a better chance at creating stops on the defensive end.
This series has potential to become one of the greatest WNBA Finals in years history. It features two young teams that are looking to prove that their time is now. As the Finals takes place this afternoon, the goal for the Dream is to once again set the tone and take control of the series with a win in game one.
