The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream are squaring off in the 2026 WNBA Finals, and neither franchise has ever won a title. The Valkyries are in just their second season after debuting as an expansion team in 2025. The Dream, meanwhile, have been to the WNBA Finals on three occasions (2010, 2011 and 2013) but have been swept each time.
They both knocked out more-experienced teams to get here. The Valkyries took down the reigning champion Aces in the semis, while the Dream ousted the Liberty. So who will win a historic title in 2026?
Before Game 1 on Saturday, our experts are making their predictions. The Golden State Valkyries won the regular-season series over the Atlanta Dream 3-0, but that record doesn't quite tell the whole story. Two of those games were decided in the final minute, and all three of those meetings came in a 10-day span early in the season, with the Valkyries getting wins over the Dream on June 24, June 26 and July 4.
Those three losses were part of a five-game losing skid by the Dream, who sat at 12-9 on July 5. The Dream have only lost five games total since, finishing the regular season with an 18-5 run. Including the postseason, Atlanta has won 10 in a row and 14 of its last 15.
In August and September, the Dream led the league in offense with a 115.2 rating and were second only to the Valkyries with a 100.8 defensive rating, both about five-point improvements on their early-season ratings. Simply put, this is a different Dream team than the one the Valkyries swept this summer. I can truly talk myself into either team winning this series – both are obviously in exceptional form and have been for the past three months, both feel like teams of destiny, both are trying to win the first title for their franchise and both are physical, dogged competitors who aren't afraid of winning ugly, which is a requirement for every title team.
The Valkyries are healthier and deeper than the Dream – the Allisha Gray injury is a big worry for Atlanta – and have home-court advantage. Defense wins championships, and the Valkyries have been far and away the best defense all season. And yet, I'm giving the Dream the edge.
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