The Atlanta Dream are four wins away from winning their first WNBA championship in franchise history. It has been a transformative year for the team, and many would say it started when they acquired Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky during the offseason. They also brought back most of their core from last season that helped them reach the playoffs, and after losing in the first round, there's no doubt they had a bad taste in their mouths.
This season, the Dream have played well on both sides of the ball and have gotten contributions from everybody on the team at some point. They're now riding a 10-game winning streak that has stretched into the playoffs, and they'll be facing the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Finals.
The Dream were swept by the Valkyries in the regular season, but all of the games were within reach. Since then, the Dream have raised their level of play, and that should make for a competitive series between both teams.
Here are some bold predictions heading into the matchup.
Allisha Gray returns – and is the Dream's leading scorer
Allisha Gray missed most of the semifinals against the New York Liberty after suffering a hand injury in Game 1. She was recently seen practicing with the team, and she told reporters that a minor procedure was done to her hand. There is optimism that she will play in the finals, and she's still listed as day-to-day with her injury.
Before Gray went down, she was the Dream's leading scorer in the playoffs after her series performance against the Washington Mystics. Gray has shown throughout the season to be one of the team's most consistent scorers, and if she returns against the Valkyries, that should continue.
Dream will hold Valkyries to under 85 points every game..
The Dream have the second-best defense in the playoffs this season, while the Valkyries are No. 1. Both have been the top defenses in the league all season, and that's the reason that they're the last two teams standing. The Dream have definitely turned things up on that side of the ball during the postseason, and that should continue against the Valkyries.
… While the Dream will score over 95 in every game
Along with having one of the best defenses in the playoffs, the Dream have the best offense, averaging 92.6 points per game. With Gray out, it feels like they've stepped up even more in the scoring category, as Jordin Canada and DeWanna Bonner have given the team a lift. If Gray returns and everybody continues to perform how they have, the Dream have a chance to put a lot of points on the board.
Article Continues BelowRhyne Howard has yet to truly get going on offense since the first round, and once she finds her rhythm again, it could be a long series for the Valkyries, even with them having the best defense.
Angel Reese wins Finals MVP
It would be something for Angel Reese to win Finals MVP in her first postseason run, but it feels like the stars could be aligning in her favor. With all of the accomplishments that Reese has made this season, capping it off with more hardware would be special for her journey.
The thing is, Reese has what it takes to put her imprint on the game, and she should be able to do so against the Valkyries. Not only has the team as a whole gotten better since the last time they saw them, but Reese has grown in her role as well. She looks more comfortable in Karl Smesko's system, and it has allowed her to become dominant on both ends of the ball.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Reese averaged a double-double in the series, and that could be enough to not only help the Dream win a championship, but to get her the Finals MVP trophy.