5 Biggest Questions Ahead of Valkyries vs. Dream WNBA Finals

The 2026 WNBA Finals are almost here, with the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream set to face off in what should be an all-time defensive matchup.

Both teams have elite on-ball defenders in the backcourt, tons of versatility on the wing and are anchored by two of the best interior defenders in the league. Some of these games could be super low scoring, but the physicality and athleticism will be absolutely unbelievable.

The Valkyries swept the Dream in the regular season, but all three games came before the All-Star break, and Atlanta has looked like a much different team since then.

With that said, let's dive into our five biggest questions heading into the WNBA Finals.

How Will Allisha Gray Look Returning from Injury?

Allisha Gray's status heading into Game 1 is easily the biggest question of this series. She's listed as day-to-day after undergoing a minor procedure on her shooting hand following an injury early in Game 1 of the semifinals against New York.

Gray's had nearly two weeks to recover and has returned to shooting, so it would be a surprise if she doesn't give it a go. But even if she plays, how much will the injury affect her shot?

If Gray is healthy and shooting over 35 percent from three, that changes the game for the Dream. Atlanta can still win this series if she isn't, but it would put even more pressure on Rhyne Howard, who shot just 29.2 percent from three in the series against New York.

In a lot of ways, Atlanta and Golden State are similar teams. They're both elite defensive squads with a ton of athletes across all positions. But the way they go about things offensively is very different.

Atlanta played at the second-fastest pace among playoff teams during the regular season and thrives off creating turnovers and getting out in transition. Golden State, meanwhile, played at the slowest pace in the league and does an excellent job taking care of the ball, allowing just 11.7 points off turnovers this season.

Can the Dream force the Valkyries into mistakes and speed the game up, or can the Valkyries control the tempo and limit Atlanta's transition opportunities? That push and pull will be one of the biggest things to monitor throughout the series.

In the regular season, there's no question Golden State won this battle. The Valkyries went 3-0 against Atlanta and completely shut down the Dream's half-court offense. When they weren't in transition, Atlanta struggled to generate anything.

In those matchups, the Dream shot just 37.7 percent at the rim in the half-court and 30.6 percent in the half-court overall, per Synergy Sports.

Kiah Stokes was a force as a rim protector, Gabby Williams made life difficult on the wing and Veronica Burton set the tone at the point of attack.

However, all three games came before the All-Star break, and Atlanta's offense has been much better since then, particularly Angel Reese. Since the break, she has shot 52.4 percent at the rim in the half court—an 8.2 percentage-point increase from before it.

Is Gabby Williams' Scoring Run Sustainable?

Williams enters the Finals playing the best basketball of her career. Her 136 points through six playoff games are the most she's ever scored over any six-game stretch, according to Across the Timeline . She's also shooting 47.7 percent from two and 40.5 percent from three.

Williams is knocking down pull-up jumpers at a high rate, creating downhill as a driver and doing it all while rarely turning the ball over.

There's a chance this run continues, but what happens if her efficiency comes back down to earth against a much tougher perimeter defense than she faced in the first two rounds against Dallas and Las Vegas?

Williams has accounted for more than half of Golden State's points on pull-up jumpers this postseason. If she cools off, especially with Howard guarding her, the Valkyries just don't have anywhere near as much creation as the Dream.

Though, this is a team that can win games in the 60s and 70s, so it may not be an issue that keeps them from winning the series.

Is Jordin Canada's Scoring Run Sustainable?

Jordin Canada is also playing the best basketball of her career, turning into an offensive dynamo this postseason, particularly in the series against New York.

If you told people Canada would be Atlanta's best offensive player over a five-game stretch in the playoffs, nobody would've believed you.

She's been a major problem for opponents defensively (on and off the ball) and has turned that disruption into tons of transition opportunities as a scorer and passer.

On top of that, she's shooting 12-of-24 from three this postseason, including multiple pull-up threes after going just 6-of-36 off the dribble from beyond the arc during the regular season.

But this will be Canada's toughest matchup yet against Burton and Golden State. She was able to get by Sabrina Ionescu, Marine Fauthoux and Pauline Astier seemingly at will in the semifinals. That won't be as easy against the best point guard defender in the league and a player who takes care of the ball as well as Burton.

What If the Threes Stop Falling for the Valkyries?

Golden State is a team that lives and dies by the three, and that strategy has worked out beautifully. When they miss, they can often make up for it by grabbing their own rebounds and scoring or drawing fouls.

Golden State posted a 38.7 percent offensive rebound rate against Las Vegas, with their 41 offensive rebounds being tied for the fourth-most over a three-game playoff stretch since 2020.

The Aces were a mediocre defensive rebounding team all season, and the Valkyries took full advantage, thanks to Kayla Thornton, Kaila Charles and Kiah Stokes.

However, the Dream have the greatest rebounder in WNBA history in Reese and more athleticism across the floor, which will inherently make those second-chance opportunities harder to come by.

So if Golden State isn't hitting threes and can't generate as many extra possessions on the offensive glass, where does their offense come from? That's a major question heading into the series.