WNBA Finals predictions 2026: Sporting News projects Dream vs. Valkyries championship series

The WNBA playoffs have been filled with drama, from the first No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed and Caitlin Clark suffering an early exit , to A'ja Wilson and the defending champion Aces being ousted in the semifinals. Now, it's down to just the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries .

The Dream needed just one season with Angel Reese to reach the finals for the first time since 2013. Brought over in an offseason trade with the Chicago Sky , Reese has been everything the team needed and more. She earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the WNBA in rebounds per game and blocks per game, becoming a dominant force in Atlanta's frontcourt. Along with the former LSU sensation, Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and postseason breakout star Jordin Canada are leading the charge on an offense averaging 92.6 points per game during the postseason.

On the other side of the court is one of the biggest surprises in the WNBA this season. In just their second year in the league, the Valkyries went from a sneaky No. 8 seed in their inaugural season to fighting for the No. 1 seed in the league. Gabby Williams may be the face of the franchise, but it's a complete team effort in Golden State, with Sixth Player of the Year Janelle Saluan and Veronica Burton playing key roles in the team's success.

Both teams come into the WNBA Finals with momentum. Atlanta has yet to lose a game this postseason, sweeping the Washington Mystics in the quarterfinals before rolling over the No. 8 seed New York Liberty in three games to advance to the finals. On the other side, Golden State has one blemish on its postseason record, needing a Game 3 to defeat the pesky Dallas Wings before a 3-0 sweep over the Las Vegas Aces .

Neither franchise has won a WNBA title, but that is guaranteed to change this year. The question is, who will it be — the Dream, who have waited nearly 20 years to lift a championship trophy, or the young Valkyries franchise closing in on the ultimate prize in just their second WNBA campaign?

The Sporting News is giving out its expert predictions for the 2026 WNBA Finals.

WNBA Finals winner prediction: Dream over Valkyries

WNBA Finals MVP prediction: Angel Reese, Dream

I'm stubbornly sticking with the Atlanta Dream. The only thing that really scares me is if Allisha Gray isn't available for the series, or if she plays but can't impact the game at her usual level. The Valks have proven they can shut down the league's best offenses, so the Dream will need all hands on deck. But while most of the attention has gone to how great Golden State is defensively — best defensive rating in the regular season — the Dream have a lockdown defense of their own. Atlanta finished the regular season with the third-best defense in the W, and going into the Finals series, it's Atlanta that boasts the best defense so far in the playoffs.

The league's Defensive Player of the Year, Angel Reese, has been the key cog in that all season long and if the Dream can pull off four more wins, it'll be because Reese is once again the most impactful player on the floor. Crown ATL Barbie and the Dream in six.

The Dream are winning the 2026 Finals. Their 30-14 record heading into the playoffs, good for the No.4 seed, may not seem all that impressive. But this is a team that showed championship potential in the games where they were on. They've put it all together at the right time, winning 10 straight, including playoff sweeps against the Mystics and Liberty. Angel Reese has led the charge, showing why she was the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Reese is the biggest star in this matchup. She has upped her game during the playoffs. Her rim protection, scoring, and shooting have all markedly improved through the first two rounds. She brings a high motor and generational rebounding skill to the table every night. If the Dream win, it will be behind continued brilliant performances from her.

WNBA Finals winner prediction: Valkyries over Dream

WNBA Finals MVP prediction: Gabby Williams, Valkyries

The WNBA Finals will end with a former Chicago Sky lottery pick and NCAA champion who is known as one of the best defensive players in the league and has made an indelible mark in her first season with a new team. Of course, I'm referring to Gabby Williams. The Valkryies leading scorer, who finished second in DPOY voting behind Angel Reese, enters the WNBA Finals having scored more points this postseason than anyone not named A'ja Wilson. Williams faces a tall task on both ends of the floor, leading a balanced Golden State attack while spearheading the point of attack against Atlanta's prolific backcourt of Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard. Reese might be the biggest name, but the Valkyries are favored and if they win, all signs point towards strong two-end play from Williams.

The WNBA Finals will end with a former Chicago Sky lottery pick and NCAA champion, who is known as one of the best defensive players in the league and has made an indelible mark in her first season with a new team, hosting the WNBA Finals MVP trophy.

WNBA Finals MVP prediction: Jordin Canada, Dream

I'm all in on the Dream winning this year's WNBA Finals. This team plays with such ferocity that I think even the Valkyries will struggle defensively. This series won't be another sweep, that's for sure, but I think Atlanta's ability to go after each possession like it's the last will lead it to its first WNBA title. As for MVP? I'm going with Jordin Canada. She not only leads the Dream in points and rebounds this postseason, but she knows how to come up clutch in crucial moments.

Cate Schiller, Global Content Coordinator

As a Bay Area native, I have to go with the Valkyries here. Golden State has shown such discipline and poise in these Playoffs, rising to the moment to dismantle giants like Las Vegas with relative ease. With ample star power and a bench adding 32.3 points per game, the Valks should outlast the Dream, especially if they're without Allisha Gray.

This series will be an undeniable shootout, but I believe Golden State has what it takes to make history and bring a title back to the Bay — and if they do, Gabby Williams will be MVP.

I've gone back and forth over who will win the WNBA Finals. This series has all the makings of a slugfest: it's a matchup of the league's top two defenses and two of the league's top coaches in Natalie Nakase and Karl Smesko. In any case, I don't expect it to end before Game 6. The Valkyries can go 11 players deep and they play the best defense the WNBA has seen in at least half a decade. But Golden State hasn't seen an offense that plays at Atlanta's pace. And the Dream's defense — anchored by the literal DPOY — is every bit as imposing.

"Make-or-miss league" is horribly cliched, but in this case, I think the Dream simply will make more shots than the Valkyries. And with respect to the outstanding Gabby Williams, Atlanta has this series' single best player in Reese, who has a history of elevating her game when the lights are brightest. I think Atlanta in 6, and Reese as Finals MVP. She's averaging 18-8-4 stocks through five playoff games. If her shot remains consistent against the Golden State defense, her MVP case will speak for itself.

Before the playoffs, it may have been hard to picture a WNBA Finals without either the Minnesota Lynx or the Las Vegas Aces, but here we are. The Dream head into this series as victors of their last 10 games, a span that includes the regular season and playoffs. A Golden State team that finished 2026 as the No. 1-ranked team with the lowest opponent PPG (75.1), FG% (41.4%), and 3P% (32.6%) also took all three of their regular-season games against the Dream. That being said, Atlanta is my pick to win the series. They have fewer question marks about scoring, and they've consistently been able to cash in when they force turnovers (72 points off 45 NY Liberty turnovers in the semifinals).

Angel Reese has shown tremendous progression this season. She's already won the Defensive Player of the Year award, and now she'll win Finals MVP. Her rebounding has always been a talking point throughout her career, but her scoring leading up to the Finals has shown she's taken the next step in becoming one of the best players in the league. Now, she can show that on the biggest stage.