Atlanta Dream’s long wait meets Valkyries’ rapid rise

Media Reports

 ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream waited 13 years to return to the WNBA Finals.

The Golden State Valkyries needed only two.

Those vastly different journeys will arrive at the same destination Saturday afternoon when Atlanta and Golden State open the best-of-seven championship series at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Neither franchise has won a WNBA title. One will make history before this month is over.

For Atlanta, the opportunity has been a long time coming. The Dream reached the Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013 but were swept each time. This will be the franchise’s first championship appearance since that last run—and another chance to secure its first Finals victory.

Golden State has skipped the waiting line entirely.

The Valkyries reached the playoffs during their inaugural 2025 season, added nine victories this year and earned the No. 2 seed. After eliminating Dallas in the opening round, Golden State swept defending champion Las Vegas in the semifinals. No previous WNBA expansion franchise had reached the Finals in its second season. 

Atlanta’s postseason run has been even cleaner.

The fourth-seeded Dream swept Washington in the first round and defending 2024 champion New York in the semifinals. They enter the Finals 5-0 in the postseason after winning nine of their final 10 regular-season games.

That surge has come during Karl Smesko’s second year as Atlanta’s head coach. Smesko inherited a talented roster and built an offense around spacing, tempo and multiple scoring threats. His team can win with perimeter shooting, penetration or power around the basket.

Then Atlanta added Angel Reese and became considerably harder to handle.

The Dream acquired Reese from Chicago in April for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028. She rewarded that investment with a record-setting season, leading the league in rebounding and earning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honors. 

Reese was not the entire reason Atlanta reached this stage. But she supplied something the Dream needed: a relentless rebounder capable of changing possessions, defending multiple positions and giving the team an unmistakable edge.

She averaged 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds during the regular season, joining an established core that already included Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada. 

That is what makes Atlanta dangerous. Stop one star and another is waiting.

Gray led the Dream with 19 points per game. Howard averaged 17.7 and remained one of the league’s most dangerous 3-point shooters. Canada supplied 11.6 points and 7.3 assists while controlling the offense and applying pressure defensively.

Atlanta’s biggest concern is whether all four will be available together.

Gray injured her left hand during the semifinal opener against New York and missed the remainder of the series. She underwent a minor procedure and is considered day-to-day entering Game 1.

Canada helped cover the loss, increasing her production to 19.2 points per game during the playoffs. Still, replacing Gray—Atlanta’s leading regular-season scorer—is different from surviving without her for a couple of games. 

Golden State presents an entirely different challenge.

The Valkyries do not lean on one dominant scorer. They overwhelm opponents with depth, physical defense and a collection of players comfortable taking the important shot.

Gabby Williams leads Golden State at 14.4 points per game. Janelle Salaün averages 12.7, while Veronica Burton contributes 12.2 points and 5.7 assists. Tiffany Hayes brings playoff experience off the bench, and Kayla Thornton and Kiah Stokes supply the rebounding and interior defense that make the Valkyries difficult to attack. 

Golden State finished the regular season with the league’s best defensive rating. Atlanta ranked third, then climbed to No. 1 during the playoffs. Both teams create turnovers, limit transition opportunities and force opponents to work deep into the shot clock. 

This series may not be won by the team that executes the most spectacular plays. It could be decided by the one that survives the longest stretches when nothing comes easily.

Golden State already knows how to make Atlanta uncomfortable.

The Valkyries swept all three regular-season meetings, winning 77-66, 78-75 and 88-83. Williams averaged 19.3 points in those games and took over the fourth quarter of the second meeting, scoring 13 points to erase Atlanta’s late advantage.

In the first meeting, Golden State made 15 3-pointers to Atlanta’s four. In the finale, the Valkyries closed with an 8-0 run after trailing 77-74. 

Those results give Golden State confidence. They do not guarantee anything.

The teams have not met since July 4. Atlanta has become more comfortable around Reese, found greater offensive balance and enters the Finals playing its best basketball of the season.

The central question is whether the Dream can turn the matchup around.

Atlanta must keep Golden State from winning the 3-point line, control the boards through Reese and prevent the Valkyries from dictating a grinding half-court game. Golden State must contain Atlanta’s collection of scorers, keep Reese away from the offensive glass and make the Dream earn every possession.

Then there is the venue.

Golden State will open the series inside a packed Chase Center, where the Valkyries have created one of the league’s best home-court environments. Games 3 and 4 will move to State Farm Arena, giving Atlanta a much larger stage than its regular home at Gateway Center Arena. 

The Dream have spent 13 years trying to get back here.

The Valkyries have spent two years acting as though they always belonged.

Now four victories separate one of them from a first championship.

Game 1: Atlanta at Golden State
Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Site: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: NBC and Peacock