It’s finally time; the WNBA Finals are approaching! After a long six month season, one team will finally be crowned champions come the end of October. During the first round of the playoffs, there have already been some shocking exits and suspenseful score lines. After being a viewer this whole season, I’m going to break down who I think is going to win and ultimately be crowned champions.
Breaking down the regular season
This WNBA season has been full of excitement, controversy, and new fans. During the regular season, the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries dominated the top two spots in the league, with both teams having a 33-11 record. The Lynx had star players like Napheesa Collier and Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles; it seemed they were destined for success from the start. As for the Valkyries, they’re a second year expansion team, but you wouldn’t know it by their extremely big and loyal fan base, and their star players Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton leading the way. Not far behind them were the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, with a 31-13 record. It’s not a surprise the the Aces were No. 3 in the standings, as they have players like A’ja Wilson who averages 26 points and 9 rebounds a game, as well as Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. After the Aces, there was the Atlanta Dream, who are also having a good season at 30-14, then the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever, who are both at 28-16. A team who really made a turnaround was the Dallas Wings. After a 10-34 record last season, they improved their record this year to 27-17 with the help of Paige Bueckers, No. 1 draft pick Azzi Fudd, and the additions of Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. The last team to make the playoffs was the New York Liberty, who have a record of 26-18.
First round of playoffs
The first round of the playoffs have already concluded, and there was some shocking results. The biggest shock of the playoffs so far was definitely the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx getting swept by the No. 8 seed New York Liberty. Because of the Lynx’s dominance this year and all their star players, nobody was expecting them to lose in the first round, let alone get swept in two games. Breanna Stewart of the Liberty went off, averaging 27 points and 8 rebounds in both games, compared to Collier averaging 13 points, and Rookie of the Year Miles only averaging 8 points, compared to her normal average of 19 points a game. Another surprising turnout of the playoffs was the No. 2 seed, the Valkyries, struggles, but ultimate triumph over the No. 7 seed Dallas Wings. Many people were expecting the Valkyries to easily sweep the Wings in two games, but after a first game blowout by the Valkyries, Dallas responded in the next two games, then ultimately fell short. In game 2, Dallas had the home court advantage and it showed. The game was back and forth and when Arike Ogumbowale tied the game with a clutch three with four seconds left, which sent the game in overtime with Dallas ultimately winning. Ogumbowale had 45 points that game, and had 30 in game three. The Wings ultimately lost the series after putting up a tough battle in game three that just wasn’t enough. The No. 6 seed, the Indiana Fever, and Caitlin Clark also fell short in game three of the playoffs against the Aces. The last set of the first round was the No. 5 seed Washington Mystics, and the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream. The Dream ended up sweeping the Mystics in two game.
what happens next
With the first round done, the stakes get even higher for a WNBA championship. The series switch from best of three to best of five in the semifinals. There are four teams left. The New York Liberty will play the Atlanta Dream, and the Las Vegas Aces will play the Golden State Valkyries. The first games have already started, and as of now, the Dream has beat the Liberty 92-82, and the Valkyries have beat the Aces 71-60.
Who is going to be the 2026 champion?
Alright, finally what this whole article is supposed to be about: my predictions! As an avid WNBA watcher (and WNBA Twitter scroller) I think I know a good amount about the teams, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Before I started writing this article, and before the first round, I would’ve told you I thought the Lynx were going to win. They have a great coach, the Rookie of the Year, and so many star players. Well, since that isn’t going to happen, I had to rearrange my predictions. I came to the conclusion that the Golden State Valkyries will win the WNBA championship. They have so many key pieces on the team, and their coach Natalie Nakase is the reigning WNBA Coach of the Year. Not only do the Valkyries have a really strong starting five, with power forward Williams and guard Veronica Burton leading the team, they also have so much talent on their bench. They have Janelle Saluan who was the unanimous Sixth Player of the Year, as well as veteran Tiffany Hayes who always brings the intensity. They also utilize Kaitlyn Chen, who has shined after being a third round draft pick. I think if all of these pieces come together, and they are able to make threes and play their incredible defense, they’ll have a real shot of being WNBA champions. Now the question is who will they play, and how many games will it take?
Challenges and roadblocks
Now, while I think that the Valkyries will win, I don’t think it will be an easy road. They already had struggles early on with the Wings, and it will only get harder from here. In this second round, they’re playing the Aces, who are already a tough team to begin with. The Aces’ Wilson has three championships and is already playing incredibly during playoffs. She is almost impossible to stop. I think the key for the Valkyries to win this second round is to play lockdown defense on everyone else, and try their best to stop Wilson. I think if they are able to lock up other star players such as guards Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, it will make the games more promising for them. After all, the Valkyries are proven to have the best defense in the league. I don’t think the Valkyries will sweep the Aces as they’re a tough team. In my opinion, I think it will go to a deciding game five, and with the Valkyries at home they will definitely have the advantage.
Finals
If the Valkyries make the finals like I predict, they’ll either play the Liberty or the Dream. Now, while the Dream have a better seeding, I believe that they will lose to the Liberty. The Liberty have recently won a championship, and have clutch veteran players with championship experience. After sweeping the Lynx, the Liberty showed they are not a normal eight seed, and have potential to go far with all of their talent. While they lost the first game of the second round to the Dream, I’m not counting them out, and I believe they will fight back and win the series. Now, if I’m correct and the Liberty and Valkyries both make the finals, I think it will be a battle. Kiah Stokes and Stewart as the forwards for the Valkyries and Liberty will have a hard-fought battle, as well as guards Sabrina Ionescu and Williams. While it will be a battle, I think overall the Valkyries are simply a better team. I think their bench players really make a key difference, as they bring so much to the table. I believe because of this, and how Williams has been playing so far in the playoffs, the Valkyries will win in four games and become WNBA champions in their second year as a franchise.
Well, let’s see if my predictions are right! In less than a month we will find out who will be the new 2026 WNBA champions!