We will have first-time WNBA champion in 2026.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries have punched their tickets to the WNBA Finals. Neither team has won a title. The Dream lost in their only WNBA Finals appearance in 2013. The Valkyries joined the league in 2025 as an expansion franchise.
The beat the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty 85-83 on Friday to complete a semifinal sweep.
To secure their spot against the Dream, the No. 2 seeded Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 on Friday, Oct. 9, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Game 3 of the WNBA playoff semifinals.
The WNBA Finals begin Oct. 17. Here are the Game 3 semifinals winners and losers.
Winners
Dream forward Angel Reese
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese helped Atlanta punch its ticket to the franchise's first WNBA Finals
appearance since 2013.
Reese finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in the closeout win, shooting 7-18 from the field, 2-of-4 from the 3-point line and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes.
It'll be the first WNBA Finals appearance of Reese's budding career. But she knew she would be here, well before the 6-foot-4 forward was traded to the Dream in April after two seasons with the Chicago Sky. Almost a year to the day on Oct. 11, 2025, Reese tweeted, "Manifesting the finals."
"I manifested this. When I came to Atlanta, I knew that I was getting," Reese said. "This team has poured so much into me. We poured so much into each other. I posted and tweeted (on) 10/10/25 that I was manifesting the Finals and this is my moment. I'm supposed to be here. I thank God for this moment. And I'm just so thankful."
Reese, who set single-season records for the most rebounds (521) and double-doubles (32) in a single season, has averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in five games in the 2026 postseason as the Dream extend their win streak to 10 games in a row row, dating back to the regular season.
Reese added, “The job is not done."
manifesting the finals>>>
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) October 11, 2025
Jordin Canada owning the series against the Liberty
Dream guard Jordin Canada was an absolute dawg against the Liberty, owning the series from the first tip. In three games, Canada averaged 22.3 points on 62.3%, 7.6 assists, three rebounds and two steals. She punctuated her amazing semifinals run with a 19-point double-double which included 11 assists. She became the third player in WNBA history to record at least 11 assists with zero turnovers in a playoff series-clinching game. Canada joins Cynthia Cooper and Diana Taurasi as the only players to achieve this milestone.
"When I went in the huddle, I said we're gonna have to earn it. This is a really good (Liberty) team. ...They're going to fight 'til the end. And so, we just got to want it more. We got to bring that energy. We gotta play Atlanta Dream basketball," Canada said of the Dream being down two to enter the fourth quarter.
"We did an exceptional job of getting stops when we needed (them) most, getting timely buckets when we needed it most, and just being poised and composed in that moment. And I know that also starts with me."
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase may have missed out on 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year (which went to Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve), but her team’s success in their second year of existence shows she is deserving.
Nakase led the Valkyries to the playoffs in their inaugural season in 2025, becoming the first expansion team to make the postseason. Golden State took it a step further in Year 2 and punched their ticket to the WNBA Finals by sweeping out the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
“We're a team that just believes in one another. We believe in what we have here, and I think it's showing on the court time and time again, no matter what happens, what's thrown our way, we trust in each other,” said Veronica Burton, who finished with eight points, six rebounds and four assists. “This is a dream come true."
Aces head coach Becky Hammon said Nakase has her “club playing at a really high level all year.” Nakase previously served as an assistant coach for the Aces under Hammon (2022-24) and was part of the team’s 2022 and 2023 WNBA championships.
Losers
Everyone who wanted A'ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart in the Finals
For the first time since 2021, neither A'ja Wilson nor Breanna Stewart will be in the WNBA Finals. Wilson and Stewart have effectively run the league during the last five years. Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces won three of the last four championships (2022, 2023, 2025). Stewart and the Liberty won the other (2024).
Now, this year's Finals won't have either. Anyone who wanted to see Wilson and Stewart, we're so sorry, friends. This isn't the year. The latest WNBA Finals matchup between the Dream and Valkyries shows how parity is increasing in the league. The Dream and the Valkyries finished fourth and second in the standings, respectively, but they played like the best two teams in the postseason. Could this be a changing of the guard?
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco
Chris DeMarco’s first season as the head coach of the New York Liberty came to an unceremonious end on Friday with the Liberty being swept.
There were some questionable choices made throughout the series, none more than the reset timeout that wasn’t used with 4.3 seconds left in the Liberty’s Game 2 loss on Wednesday.
Breanna Stewart said she was told by officials New York didn't have a reset timeout when she inquired during Angel Reese's free throw attempts. Officials countered Stewart's claim in the postgame pool report, saying the referee confirmed New York did have one. The Liberty submitted an official inquiry into the timeout situation with the league, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY.
DeMarco said he expects to return as the head coach next year. The Liberty’s Big 3 of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones were asked the same question, with each player mentioning that it’s not up to them.
“We want to win a championship every single time we step on the court, but it's really hard in this league. And in order to do that, you need to be consistent for the full 44 games,” said Breana Stewart, who finished with 26 points and six assists. “I don't think we were consistent throughout the season... It's not like cramming for a test. You gotta you gotta be ready to go since the jump.”
It’s worth mentioning the Liberty battled injuries throughout the season. Ionesco was limited to 31 regular-season games due to injury, Leonie Fiebich played 21 and Satou Sabally 13 games before shutting down her season.
"I think we navigated it well. I think especially Satou (Sabally), she's built for a series like this, obviously, with her ability to be physical, get to the rim, do all those things,” DeMarco said. “But again, and not to go down that path, but the priority with her is always going to be health. We want to make sure she feels good before she plays again."
Road teams
The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty each found themselves in a 2-0 hole in their respective semifinal series. But each team had a chance to get in the win column and keep their season alive on their home courts. Yet, the Aces and Liberty both got swept in Las Vegas and New York, respectively.
Valkyries forward Gabby Williams even said Michelob ULTRA Arena felt like a home game.
"I was getting a little bit emotional walking off the court with our fans because I know how much they have our back and they really ride for us," Williams said. "I wanted for us to continue to have a shot and extend this season and play for our fans.
"The ones that have been here really know how much they mean to us."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA playoff winners and losers include Dream's Jordin Canada, Liberty coach
