The Atlanta Dream remained undefeated through the first two rounds of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs, sweeping both the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty. Now, while they’re closer than ever to finally lifting the trophy, they’re also looking their toughest opponent right in the eyes.
Atlanta has been on the brink before. The Dream are no strangers to the playoffs. Since joining the league in 2008, Atlanta has made 12 postseason appearances—including three WNBA Finals runs. However, it’s been 13 years since the Dream last earned this type of opportunity. It’s safe to say they’re not looking to repeat history, but instead make some.
Their Last Go-Around
The Dream made the Finals in 2010 and 2011. After losing to the Indiana Fever in the first round in 2012, 2013 was a renewed opportunity for the Dream to prove themselves—unknowingly to them, it’d be their last shot at doing so in over a decade.
The 2013 run started similarly to that of the current 2026 season—a first-round series win over the Mystics. But it’s safe to say history did, in fact, repeat itself. The Dream were swept in the Finals after suffering the same fate in 2010 and 2011—meaning Atlanta has an overall record of 0-9 in Finals games.
But when we look at the broader picture, we see a 17-17 regular season for the Dream—their fewest wins in a year at the time. While their offensive rating was ranked in the bottom half of the league, they had one of the best defenses. Much like this season, they led the league in steals, recording 10.2 per game.
Unfortunately, on the other side of that 2013 Finals matchup was the Minnesota Lynx, a team that had lost only eight games that season. A team that was stacked with the best the WNBA had to offer at the time—Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus, specifically. The Lynx claimed their second ring in three years in 2013—that number turned into four titles by 2017.
Even as they were facing a developing empire and didn’t claim the crown, the 2013 Dream squad was full of powerhouses. In fact, Angel Reese is living up to the big shoes she has to fill as an ‘Angel’ in Atlanta, as this isn’t the first time that name has been chanted around the arena on the way to the Finals.
Angel McCoughtry hit the league running in 2009. By the 2013 season, she was a consistent starter and Atlanta’s leading scorer for the previous three seasons. She joined Erika de Souza—a seasoned veteran heading into her seventh postseason appearance—as the Dream’s saving graces through the 2013 playoffs. The two combined for almost 30 points, over 13 rebounds, five assists, and three steals per game.
Fittingly enough, the Dream’s third powerhouse during their 2013 run was none other than the Golden State Valkyries’ own Tiffany Hayes. She averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game through the 2013 playoffs. Now, she’ll act as the spark off the bench for the team trying to hand her former franchise the same fate she suffered alongside them so many years ago.
All the Ups and Downs Led to This
To add insult to injury, after the crushing 2013 Finals appearance, things have not been all sunshine and rainbows for Atlanta. In 2014, the Dream hired a new coach, Michael Cooper. Despite having a slightly better regular-season record of 19-15 and still being led by McCoughtry, De Souza, and Hayes, Atlanta didn’t make it past the first round of the postseason.
The 2015 season was the Dream’s first since their inaugural season that they missed the playoffs. De Souza was traded away from Atlanta, landing in Chicago midseason. They finished the year with a 15-9 record and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference—despite still being in contention late in the season, they couldn’t claim a postseason spot.
The 2016 campaign was similar enough to 2013. The Dream closed the season with a 17-17 record and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The team welcomed in second-year center Elizabeth Williams, who ultimately won the 2016 Most Improved Player award. She joined McCoughtry and Hayes as the team’s leading scorers. Despite two 30+ point performances from McCoughtry and Hayes, the Dream were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round.
If we’re talking highs and lows, 2017 would be classified as a low. McCoughtry sat out the entire season to prioritize her physical and mental health. The Dream missed the playoffs, finished within the bottom three of the division, and held a 12-22 record—their worst since their inaugural season.
Things looked up in 2018 when McCoughtry returned. She was once again the team’s leading scorer. Brittney Sykes was in her second year in Atlanta, and the Dream had picked up veteran Renee Montgomery. They had a few incredibly strong winning streaks throughout the season, leading the team to the second-best record in the league. They received a first-round bye, but unfortunately fell to the Washington Mystics in the second round.
The 2019-2021 seasons were another low period for the Dream—one fans would like to forget. They never claimed more than eight wins in a season through those three years. They went through three head coaches, never truly finding their footing. McCoughtry was sidelined for the entirety of 2019 with a knee injury; she never returned to Atlanta as she signed with the Las Vegas Aces as a free agent in 2020.
Enter Rhyne Howard. Those three years of woes paid off in a way when the Dream traded up for the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2022. A guard out of Kentucky, Howard hit the ground running in Atlanta. While the Dream didn’t make the playoffs in 2022, it was clear they had a future with Howard, who finished the season averaging over 16 points per game. Naz Hillmon was also drafted in 2022 and became a staple in building the future for the Dream.
Hayes only appeared in 11 games during the 2022 season due to injury, but was her typical electric self, averaging over 16 points per game. However, the Dream traded her for the No. 6 overall pick in 2023—ending her tenure in Atlanta.
A turning point for the Dream came in 2023 when the team got a complete makeover since they were last seen in the playoffs. Allisha Gray signed on during free agency and her chemistry with Howard was almost immediate. They both averaged over 17 points per game in 2023. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was another offseason signing who made an immediate impact. Parker-Tyus, Howard, and Gray were all named 2023 All-Stars en route to earning the fifth seed and their first postseason appearance since 2018.
Unfortunately, while the potential has been there, the Dream were just unable to break through to the second round of the playoffs. In 2024, even with the Gray and Howard duo at the top of their game and the additions of Jordin Canada and Tina Charles, Atlanta barely squeezed into the playoffs. It ended up securing the eighth seed and losing in the first round.
In 2025, the Dream went through another coaching change, bringing in Karl Smesko to lead the way; Atlanta fans felt the potential. The team, still led by Howard, Gray, and Canada, now had the new additions of Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner holding things down in the paint. They set a new franchise record for wins in a single season with 30. They claimed the No. 3 seed, but still couldn’t get past the first round against the Indiana Fever, who handed Atlanta a crushing Game 3 loss at home.
That brings us to this season. The Dream were able to re-sign all five of their core players this past offseason—Howard, Gray, Jones, Hillmon, and Canada. Even with Jones out for the majority of the year, the offseason addition of Reese made a massive splash in not only the hype surrounding this team, but also its potential. They’ve tied their franchise record, reaching 30 wins in the regular season. They broke the first-round curse with ease, remaining undefeated through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs.
How Atlanta Can Capture Its First Crown
This Dream team is happy to leave those lows in the past. While some have been around long enough to experience all the ups and downs, this season is like a breath of fresh air for its fans. With the addition of Reese and the late acquisition of DeWanna Bonner, there are new sparks of potential. And over the last few weeks, we’ve seen essentially everything go their way.
However, this isn’t an untested team. During the regular season, Atlanta had its fair share of struggles before turning things around in time to secure the No. 4 seed in the postseason. In early July, the Dream were looking to recover from a five-game losing streak. That fifth loss happened to come from the Golden State Valkyries, who had already claimed two wins over the Dream in the regular season.
Atlanta looks to forget its 0-3 regular-season woes against Golden State with a fresh slate in the WNBA Finals. But for us, it’s easy to look back at the regular season and see all the things the Dream must fix if they want to win their first title.
For starters, through their three regular-season meetings against Golden State, Atlanta shot only 28.1 percent from the three-point line—averaging only 6.0 made threes per game. So far in these playoffs, the Dream are averaging 9.4, while the Valkyries are averaging 10.5 made threes per game. This could be the deciding factor in a couple of these Finals games. Atlanta’s tough, aggressive defense cannot be complacent when guarding the perimeter, or Golden State will take full advantage, as we’ve seen them do all season.
Both teams’ defensive abilities will be the headliners of these Finals. Of course, stick around if you like offense, too, but expect to see plenty of forced turnovers and crashing of the glass. No one side will likely be able to depend on out-playing the other’s physicality—these are two squads who will do anything to win. Unfortunately for the Dream, the Valkyries’ bench runs deep, giving their starters more breathing room that Atlanta simply doesn’t have.
However, Bonner could be a huge factor in combating starters’ fatigue. She wasn’t with the team during any of the regular-season meetings with the Valkyries. She brings three-point shooting, length in the paint that will force the Valkyries into different schemes, and most importantly, a must-have spark off the bench.
Regardless of what happens in the championship series, Atlanta has had a long journey to getting back to the WNBA Finals that it last took part in over a decade ago. And this Dream team hopes it can erase all that frustration and disappointment over the years by hoisting the championship trophy for the first time in 2026.
