Reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese shared her thoughts on the Atlanta Dream returning to the WNBA Finals after a 13-year absence.
The Dream have made it to the WNBA Finals stage four times in the franchise’s history, but have lost all four instances, with the last Finals loss coming at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx in 2013.
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The new-look Dream featured one of the biggest names in the WNBA in Reese, with her excellence playing a huge role in why their team has returned to the Finals. This is not a moment Reese will take for granted, for herself and the team’s fanbase.
Angel Reese calls 2026 Finals opportunity a ‘blessing’
Reese spoke to reporters at practice in Atlanta on October 13, discussing the importance of leading the Dream back to the Finals and her ultimate aim with the franchise.
“A blessing, I mean, a lot of homage to those teams, and they were really, really talented teams that played here before all of us. And that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to come to Atlanta to bring a championship home.”
Reese averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the regular season and 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks in the playoffs as an integral piece for the Dream.
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Hopefully, the 24-year-old forward can continue her strong form in the Finals and reach the summit of the WNBA faster than most people would have imagined after her first two WNBA seasons with the Chicago Sky.
How many WNBA teams have never won a title?
The Dream are one of two active WNBA teams to have existed for over 15 years and never won a WNBA Championship, and among the six 2026 season teams to have never won a title.
The Connecticut Sun are the other longstanding team, but they are moving to Houston to become the Houston Comets for next season.
The other non-champions are the Dallas Wings (first season, 2016) and the new expansion teams (Valkyries, Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo).
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Regardless of who wins the 2026 Finals, we are going to see a first-time champion. The only question is whether it’ll be the team that’s lost four Finals and has been chasing glory for 20 years or the new franchise that joined the league last season.
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