The Atlanta Dream have never won a WNBA championship. That can all change if they beat the Golden State Valkyries in the 2026 WNBA Finals.
That’s easier said than done. In the regular season, Atlanta lost all three games against Golden State. A couple of those games came down to the wire, but the Dream couldn’t close.
To flip the script, Atlanta needs a few things to go right. These three things, in particular, must happen if the Dream are to win it all.
In the comments, let us know what you think Atlanta
has to do to fulfill their championship Dreams.
1. Angel Reese must keep doing everything—and more
Everything with the Dream starts and ends with Angel Reese. She is the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and Atlanta’s MVP.
During the playoffs, Reese has averaged 18 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She also has the best postseason plus-minus at +58.
It seems unfair to ask more of Reese in her first year with this team, but to win it all, she has to do more and do it well. Scoring 20 points per game will be necessary. Double-digit rebounds are preferred. She will need to make at least 80 percent of her free throws and avoid turnovers down the stretch.
That’s a long list, but Reese can do it. She’s won a national title with LSU, just helped Team USA win gold at the FIBA World Cup and she’s four wins away from a WNBA title. Counting on her to rise to a challenge has been a safe bet, and that shouldn’t change now.
2. The Dream need to be 3-point shooters
Both the Valkyries and the Dream have elite defenses. During the regular season, Golden State had the No. 1 defense, and Atlanta was No. 3. In the playoffs, the Dream have been No. 1, and the Valkyries No. 2.
So, it’s expected that defenses will be great in this series. That means whoever can score will win. For Atlanta, converting from deep will be key.
In their regular-season matchups against the Valkyries, the Dream struggled in this area, making only 25.3 percent of their 3-point shots.
That won’t cut it.
Atlanta has made 32.5 percent of their shots from beyond the arc in the playoffs. That still might not be good enough against Golden State, but it’s a step in the right direction. The Dream have to be willing shooters and knock them down to win this series.
3. Atlanta can’t afford any injuries
To win it all takes a combination of skill and luck. The Dream have had the skill. Now they need the luck.
Allisha Gray’s status remains up in the air. She missed the last two games against the Liberty due to a hand injury and remains day-to-day.
On the plus side, Gray participated in Thursday’s practice.
Will she play in Game 1 against the Valkyries? We won’t know until later.
If she’s out, then the other backcourt players will have to step up. That means big play from Jordin Canada, who is averaging 19.2 points and 8.8 assists in the postseason. And Rhyne Howard will have to deliver. She’s also averaging 19.2 points per game in the playoffs.
No team has been able to beat the Valkyries yet, but if the Dream execute on all these phases and avoid the injury bug, they’ll have a great chance of being the team that does.
