The 2026 WNBA Playoffs brought the heat, with top seeds getting upset and the field proving nobody was going quietly. Now we’re down to the final two: the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries.
Let’s recap how the semifinals unfolded, preview the Finals, and I’ll give my best bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
WNBA Finals: Dream vs. Valkyries Preview
Both semifinal matches ended in a three-game sweep, the Dream handling the Liberty while the Valkyries took care of the Aces.
Let’s start with Atlanta. The Dream’s defensive momentum from the end of the regular season carried straight into the playoffs, disrupting New York’s talented Big 3. Not only did Atlanta force turnovers each night, but the team also traded buckets with the Liberty without leading scorer Allisha Gray for most of the series. New York coughed the ball up 49 times across the three games, and Atlanta turned those miscues into 72 points.
Angel Reese, this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, was just as dominant on offense, averaging 20.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in the series, while Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard each averaged nearly 20 points per game throughout the postseason.
For the reigning champion Aces, the run ended at the hands of a gritty, hungry Golden State team that is making history as a second-year expansion franchise reaching the Finals. The Valkyries controlled the first two games and frustrated Las Vegas at every turn. Gabby Williams knocked down 57.1% of her threes in the opener, and Kiah Stokes, a former Ace herself, was a force on the glass with 31 total rebounds in the series. Even when Game 3 went to overtime, Golden State took over the extra period and outscored the Aces 16-6, while five-time MVP A’ja Wilson managed just 6-of-19 from the field in the closeout. Now, the Valkyries will try to prove defense can win championships, having allowed the fewest points per game of any team in the postseason (79.8).
How Do Atlanta and Golden State Match Up?
While I mentioned that Atlanta stood out defensively against the Liberty, Reese, Canada and Co. also averaged 92.6 points per game in the playoffs, the best mark of any postseason team. Golden State sports a stronger defensive identity but has a deep bag of shooters who can get hot on any night. So, how do these teams match up?
The common denominator is defense (shocker). Reese arrives as the Defensive Player of the Year, while the Valkyries led the league in defensive rating by a wide margin in the postseason. Plain and simple, something has to give when the postseason’s most prolific offense meets its stingiest defense.
Atlanta is still without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who had a minor procedure on her hand this week, but others have stepped up in a big way. Jordin Canada jumped from 11.6 points per game in the regular season to 19.2 in the postseason, and DeWanna Bonner showed up huge with 23 points against the Liberty in Game 1. If the Dream can generate consistent offense even without Gray on the court, they’ll put together a compelling case to take the crown.
On the other side, the Valkyries aren’t the most offensively dominant team, but they play great team ball. Aces coach Becky Hammon even highlighted after Game 3 of the semifinals that any Golden State player could drop double digits on a given night, making the roster deep, versatile and dangerous.
The Valkyries can also get red-hot from deep, leading the league in three-pointers made per game in the regular season and attempts in the postseason. If the three is on, the Valks could take the edge offensively, but if it’s off, the Dream have size and strength to grab points in the paint and take control.
If there is one thing to be sure about, it’s that we are in for an entertaining WNBA Finals!
WNBA Finals: Dream vs. Valkyries Pick, Best Bet
Pick: Atlanta Dream 2026 Finals Winner (-105)
