Dream or Valkyries? WNBA Finals will crown a first-time champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The WNBA Finals will make history whichever team wins. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are both chasing the first championship in their franchise histories, setting up a title series with a milestone waiting at the finish. Atlanta is back in the Finals for the first time since 2013, while Golden State has reached the championship round in just its second season.
Atlanta returns to the title stage
The Dream earned their place by sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinals. Angel Reese has been central to Atlanta’s postseason run, and she will make her first Finals appearance. Rhyne Howard and the rest of the Dream will also be counted on to carry that momentum into a matchup against a team that has been one of the league’s strongest all season.
Atlanta has reached the Finals before, but a championship has remained out of reach. The franchise now gets another chance to turn a strong postseason into its first title. The Dream will open on the road, so they will need to handle the atmosphere at Chase Center before trying to make the most of their home games in Atlanta.
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Golden State has home-court advantage
The Valkyries secured home-court advantage after a strong regular season and a semifinal sweep of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Their rapid rise has been one of the season’s major stories. Golden State is still a young franchise, but it has already put itself in position to compete for a championship.
The best-of-seven series opens Saturday, Oct. 17, at Chase Center, with Game 1 scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Game 2 is Monday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. ET. The series then moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. ET and Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. ET.
The teams arrive with different histories and different kinds of momentum. Atlanta is trying to complete a long climb back to the Finals, while Golden State is looking to turn an early breakthrough into a title. The matchup gives both franchises a chance to establish a new chapter, and it guarantees that one team will celebrate its first WNBA championship when the series ends.