Then there were two… Not many would’ve expected to see the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream in the Finals; not many would’ve expected them to sweep past champions to get where they are. But for those who wanted to see new faces, well, this is your year. Interestingly, teeth-grinding games that push us all to the edge of our seats are expected for very obvious reasons: the common denominators the two had throughout their playoff runs.

Just in their second season, the Valkyries have outperformed every team on defense. But while defense wins championships, the thing is, their opponents are no less feisty. The Dream were also the second-best defense in the WNBA regular season, according to ESPN. The two also showed more hunger to win than their opponents throughout their respective postseason runs. Their offenses, too, were no short of surprises either. But if there’s one thing that can tilt the odds in Atlanta’s favor, the Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase knows her all too well.

“She’s an ultimate ultra competitor,” Nakase said, according to a post by The Athletic on X. “To me, when we were at USA, you heard her voice constantly.

“So when she didn’t start, you heard her. She was constantly cheering her teammates on when they needed to. She constantly called them out when we needed energy. So, understanding, she’s a huge reason why I think that team is in the finals, Atlanta, because she brings this competitive edge, and she’s not going to let any possession slip.”

Throughout the regular season, the Dream was ranked No. 3 in defensive rating, No. 4 in scoring defense, and led the league in steals. Their cohesion, presence in the paint, and guard play are undeniable. But what makes them most dangerous against the Golden State Valkyries that last played Atlanta on July 4 is their swagger. That is undeniably part of the confidence that Angel Reese brought with her when she became part of the Dream. And Nakase knows it firsthand.

The two recently worked together as part of the 2026 USA Women’s Basketball National Team at the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, where the Americans won their fifth consecutive gold by defeating France 97-79 in the final. Nakase served as an assistant coach who observed how Reese consistently lifts her teammates and brings the energy her team needs. The forward, meanwhile, made an impact across the board in her senior national team debut.

She led the Americans in field goal percentage at 59.1% and blocks with 0.8 per game, while her five rebounds per game tied Napheesa Collier for second on the team. Reese also averaged 7.2 points per game as the U.S. went on to capture gold. Returning to the league, she only bumped up her performance.

The reigning DPOY has been on a rise since her FIBA win

The 24-year-old’s presence has helped the Dream believe they can finish the job despite Allisha Gray being day-to-day after a short procedure on her hand after an injury during the semifinal series.

Since being traded from the Chicago Sky, she claimed the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award after ranking third in the league in steals at 1.8 per game and leading all players with 12.1 rebounds per game. Her presence on the glass and ability to disrupt opponents helped Atlanta finish third in defensive rating (103.5) while allowing a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game. Just look at what the team collectively did to the New York Liberty!

Atlanta forced 49 turnovers in the three SF games and turned them into 72 points. Interestingly, the chart for this particular stat kept rising as the games went on, and this was against the league’s top offenses.

That kind of defensive presence even caught the attention of WNBA legend Tina Charles, who made it clear that Reese is the kind of player a team needs when the stakes are highest.

“She is just fearless, and that’s exactly what you want, especially from your inside presence. That’s exactly what you want, someone who’s gonna impose their will, who’s gonna just keep coming at you. It doesn’t even matter if she’s scoring the basketball or not — you’re gonna feel her. And it’s just a snowball effect to everybody else,” Charles said during her recent appearance on WNBA on NBC.

The Dream reached the WNBA Finals for the first time in 13 years by showing they are better than any other team. Still, respecting a player is one thing; letting Atlanta take it all is another.

Nakase still has enough in her gauntlet to surprise the Dream

It all comes back to hunger.

Natalie Nakase and the Valkyries have built a formidable team in just their second season in the WNBA. With a league-high nine players returning and free-agent additions Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes joining the mix, Golden State has won 32 regular-season games relying on their biggest superpower: depth.

The Valkyries have popularly relied on their chemistry across the roster, even setting a WNBA record for bench scoring. Meanwhile, the Dream, with Gray out, are already limping on one of their best bench players in Jordin Canada, a wild card, yes, but one that also reduces the team’s options. But there’s another detail that the Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon noticed that puts them in a different tier.

“They really play great team ball,” Hammon said after the Aces were swept in the semifinals. “On any given night, any of them could have 15 or 20 [points] because they share the ball. It seems like nobody cares who gets the credit, and that’s a really special thing to have in a team.”

What we can expect out of this matchup is two great coaching minds going against each other with teams that are in a ‘do-or-die’mode as they chase their first WNBA championship. It will all begin on October 17 at Chase Center.