Former Dream All-Star Shares Advice to This Year's Team Ahead of Finals

The Atlanta Dream are headed to their first WNBA Finals since the 2013 season.

The franchise is still looking to win their first WNBA championship.

All eyes are on star Angel Reese as she competes in her first postseason just in the third year of her career. The last time the Dream were in the Finals there was a different Angel making headlines: Angel McCoughtry. She competed in three Finals with Atlanta, failing to secure the title each time.

Ahead of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, McCoughtry shared some thoughtful advice to the players, something she wish she would've followed herself when competing in the Finals.

"I would tell all the girls 'Enjoy this moment,'" McCoughtry said on Yahoo! Sports Daily. "I've gone to the Finals four times, one with Vegas, three with Atlanta. I felt like I was so tunnel visioned, that I was so focused on 'Let's win a championship, let's win a championship' that I didn't enjoy the atmosphere, the energy around me. You don't know when you're going to go back. ... I would tell the girls to 'Enjoy this moment no matter what happens.' Only one team is going to win. No matter what happens, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the fans, enjoy the camaraderie, enjoy the sisterhood of all of this."

This is great advice as a Finals appearance is never guaranteed for any WNBA team. The Dream could go another 13 years (probably not, though) without reaching the Finals, meaning many of the current players could be retired by then. It's time for them to make the most of the experience regardless of the outcome.

The WNBA Finals start on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET.