The Dream fell short once again in the WNBA Finals, but they'll bring back key contributors in 2027
Nov 2, 2026 at 5:07 pm ET • 7 min read
The first three times the Atlanta Dream made the WNBA Finals, they were swept. Their trip this season was even more heartbreaking. They led the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries 2-1, and the Dream led Game 7 by nine in the second half falling short to Gabby Williams and the second-year franchise on Saturday night.
The Dream's four losses in the Finals are tied for the second-most in WNBA history, and the Connecticut Sun is the only other franchise to make the Finals at least four times without winning a championship. Now that the Sun have folded and the Houston Comets have been reborn, the only active franchises besides the Dream without a title are the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, who joined as expansion clubs in 2026.
While the Dream's season ultimately ended in disappointment, there were a ton of positives. The Dream tied a franchise record with 30 wins, finished in the top five in offensive, defensive and net rating, made it out of the first round for the first time since 2018 and made it to the Finals for the first time since 2013.
"We've won a lot of great games, and to come all the way to the Finals with this group, I mean, it says a lot," star forward Angel Reese said after Game 7. "And not a lot of people have this opportunity to do it, and like I said, I'd do it all over again with this same group and just battling with them every single day. I love these girls and I love these coaches."
After three consecutive first-round exits, the Dream traded for Reese in the offseason with the hope that she would be the catalyst that turned them into a true title contender. Reese got off to a slow start in Atlanta, and a five-game losing streak in late June and early July -- which included three defeats to the Valkyries -- left the Dream at just 12-9 near the midpoint of the season.
And after Reese missed a potential game-winning layup against the Indiana Fever in mid-August, the Dream were stuck in fifth place and in danger of not even getting home-court advantage in the playoffs. That turned out to be an inflection point, however. Reese averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals on 56.3% shooting the rest of the way, and the Dream closed the regular season on a 9-1 run to earn the No. 4 seed.
Reese continued to excel in the playoffs. With Allisha Gray sidelined for the majority of the semifinals against the New York Liberty, and Rhyne Howard mired in a miserable shooting slump, Reese took over the primary scoring responsibilities to lead the team to the Finals.
In Game 2 of the Finals, she delivered the best performance of her career: 30 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks to even the series at 1-1 and join Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones as the only players in Finals history with a 30-point, 15-rebound game. She followed that up with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in Game 2 to give the Dream a 2-1 lead and join A'ja Wilson as the only players in Finals history with back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound games.
Reese was unable to maintain that level of play against Kiah Stokes and a dogged Valkyries defense, however. She averaged just 9.5 points on 26.7% shooting in the final four games, and had more turnovers (19) than made baskets (12). And she didn't get much help along the way. Gray, still playing through her hand injury, shot 34.1% in the Finals and Howard shot 36%.
Reese, who was named Defensive Player of the Year, and earned All-WNBA Second Team honors, made the Dream even better on the defensive end and the glass, and helped them become dominant on the margins. But she didn't solve their biggest issue: shotmaking. This once again doomed them when it mattered most. The Dream shot 33.3% in Game 7, including 6 of 30 from 3-point range.
"Yeah, it's tough [to process]," Reese said after Game 7. "Especially with the good group, great group, that I've honestly had the honor to battle with all year. They changed my life, and I'm just so grateful for them and I'm so thankful for them. It is tough in the moment, but we'll be back.
"I always say, delayed, not denied and this is only Year 3," she continued. "They have a lot move years left, too. I'm just really grateful that I got to go to war with this group and I would do it again, all over again."
Season at a glance
- Record: 30-14 (No. 4 seed)
- Offensive rating: 111.9 (4th)
- Defensive rating: 103.5 (3rd)
- Net rating: plus-8.4 (3rd)
Biggest strength: Winning the margins
With Reese in the fold, the Dream dominated on the margins. They led the league in offensive rebound rate (35.5%), opponent offensive rebound rate (26.4%) and opponent turnover rate (19.5%). In addition, they were third in free throw rate (0.341) and sixth in turnover rate (16.4%). As a result, they were first in net possessions by a significant margin at +10.4; the Valkyries were second at +6.3.
Biggest weakness: Shotmaking
Trading for Reese did not solve the Dream's biggest issue: shotmaking. Though they were fifth in 3-point rate (.385), they were 12th in 3-point percentage (32.5%) and 33.4% on all jumpshots, which was tied for 13th and the worst mark of any playoff team. Of the team's five players (including DeWanna Bonner, who joined late in the season), that took at least 100 3-point attempts, Howard (35.5%) was the only one to shoot above 35%.
Key free agents
- DeWanna Bonner
Biggest question: Will the Dream make another big move?
Since taking over as Atlanta's general manager in 2022, Dan Padover has wheeled and dealed his way to a Finals-level roster. He made five separate trades to acquire all five of the Dream's starters in the Finals -- Howard, Naz Hillmon, Gray, Canada and Reese -- signed Brionna Jones (who missed the playoffs due to a knee injury) and DeWanna Bonner in free agency and drafted Isobel Borlase.
After falling short in Game 7, will Padover make another big move? He doesn't have to. The 39-year-old Bonner, who may well retire, is their only notable free agent. Every member of the team's rotation is under contract through 2027, while Gray, Howard, Jones and Hillmon are signed through 2028.
If Padover believes in this group, the Dream may have the quietest offseason of any team in the league -- especially since they don't have a first-round pick. They could make a few moves on the margins to try and add some depth and shooting, run things back and hope that better injury luck and this season's experience helps put them over the top in 2027. Again, Jones missed the entire postseason and Gray was playing with eight working fingers.
But what if Padover believes that they've pushed margin dominance to the limit, or that the team needs more depth? Or, what if he wants to clean up a top-heavy cap sheet that will get even messier now that Reese is eligible for an EPIC (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) extension?
Padover has never been shy, but all of his big moves to build this roster have been additive, and he's almost exclusively given up picks. We haven't seen him deal a player of significance, as he'd have to this offseason if he wanted to shake up the roster in a meaningful way.
Jones is the most obvious candidate to be moved. They made it to the Finals largely without her this season, and this was the second time in four seasons that she barely played due to a significant injury. She's also making over $1 million per season through 2028, and getting off that contract would give Padover significantly more flexibility moving forward.
A more drastic option would be splitting up the Gray-Howard wing partnership, which has too often failed on the biggest stages, in part due to overlapping skill sets. Gray is on a max deal through 2028, while Howard is making just under the max through the same year. Despite the big contracts and some shaky playoff resumes, both would figure to have significant value. Such a trade does not feel likely, but cannot be ruled out completely given Padover's aggressiveness.
WNBA Draft outlook
- Picks Nos. 27 and 42
The Dream traded their 2027 first-round pick to the Sky in the Reese deal, so they won't have a selection until No. 27 overall in the second round. They also have their third-round pick, but that's even less meaningful. It's extremely unlikely that the Dream are going to find anyone with either of their picks who can help them in 2027.
