2026 WNBA Finals predictions: Expert picks for Valkyries vs. Dream as each team seeks first title

The 2026 WNBA Finals tip off on Saturday afternoon … so who will capture the championship? The WNBA will have a first-time champion in 2026. The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream are squaring off in the 2026 WNBA Finals, and neither franchise has ever won a title. The Valkyries are in just their second season after debuting as an expansion team in 2025. The Dream, meanwhile, have been to the WNBA Finals on three occasions (2010, 2011 and 2013) but have been swept each time. They both knocked out more-experienced teams to get here. The Valkyries took down the reigning champion Aces in the semis, while the Dream ousted the Liberty.

So who will win a historic title in 2026? Before Game 1 on Saturday, our experts are making their predictions. Gibbs: Dream in 7. The Golden State Valkyries won the regular-season series over the Atlanta Dream 3-0, but that record doesn't quite tell the whole story. Two of those games were decided in the final minute, and all three of those meetings came in a 10-day span early in the season, with the Valkyries getting wins over the Dream on June 24, June 26 and July 4. Those three losses were part of a five-game losing skid by the Dream, who sat at 12-9 on July 5. The