WNBA Finals Preview: Valkyries and Dream Both Chase a First Title

One team will win its first WNBA championship this month. The Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream meet in the WNBA Finals, a best-of-seven series that begins on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco. ESPN breaks down the matchup.

The two teams have very different histories. Atlanta joined the league as an expansion team in 2008 and took three seasons to reach the Finals. This is its fourth time there, after being swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Golden State only began play in 2025, and it has reached the Finals in its second season. It is the first team in WNBA history to get there within two years of starting. The Valkyries are the No. 2 seed and will host Games 1 and 2, and Games 5 and 7 if needed. The Dream are the No. 4 seed.

Both teams swept their semifinal series, and both series ended on October 9, which gave each side plenty of time to prepare. Golden State beat the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Atlanta beat the New York Liberty and comes in on a 10-game winning streak. Golden State won all three games of the regular-season series, but the last one was on July 4.

Expect a lot of defense. The Valkyries and Dream ranked first and second in defense this season. The Valkyries are 5-1 in the postseason. During the opening semifinal match, the team limited the Aces to just 60 points, which was their lowest score of the year, and set a new team record by pulling down 52 rebounds. Gabby Williams leads the remaining scorers at 22.7 points per game, and Kiah Stokes leads the series in rebounds at 9.5 per game.

Golden State's starters are expected to be Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Cecilia Zandalasini and Kiah Stokes. Burton said that reaching the Finals is unimaginable, yet realistic for the team, and that it is what they expected and worked for. Many of the players were let go by their earlier teams. Thornton said that is part of what makes the group special.

One concern for Atlanta is guard Allisha Gray, who hurt her shooting hand in Game 1 of the semifinals. She has said she is day-to-day after a recent procedure.