Dream vs. Valkyries prediction: Atlantas red-hot streak continues in Game 1 of WNBA Finals
Game 1 of a historic WNBA Finals series begins Saturday afternoon as two franchises hoping to clinch their first title meet in Golden State. The Valkyries and Dream enter this series after sweeping the Aces and Liberty, respectively—a result WNBA fans probably wouldn’t have expected in early May. This Finals matchup marks a new chapter in the league as it moves past the old guard, with both squads winning by embracing position-less basketball, strong defense and timely 3-point shooting. Golden State has become an overnight sensation, reaching the Finals in the franchise’s second year and favored at around -115 across multiple books to win the series.It’s ridiculous to fathom they carried 33/1 odds to win it all in the preseason. They are led by reigning Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase, who spent three seasons as an assistant under Becky Hammon with the Aces.
Gabby Williams has embraced the cornerstone role, as the former No.4 pick and UConn standout is the early Finals MVP favorite (+100). The Valkyries have been the best offensive team in the postseason with a 114 rating on a slower, methodical pace of 88.13.
Golden State has depth and proven players in Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, Kiah Stokes and microwave scorer Tiffany Hayes. They’ve also shown great resilience, racking up two double-digit wins against the Aces in the semifinals.In Game 3, they trailed 47-36 to Las Vegas before engineering a 17-0 run to take control and punch a ticket to the championship rounds. Nakase and the Valkyries are also unbeaten (4-0) in the playoffs at the Chase Center. Atlanta has been sensational throughout its playoff run, turning a late regular-season winning streak into a ten-game domination, and it hasn’t lost a game since late August. Karl Smesko, Angel Reese, and company are 13-2 against the spread over their last 15 games.
Defensively, they rank atop the playoff leaderboard in steals (10.6) and defensive rating (102), and they also boast the WNBA�...