The WNBA Finals open Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET as the No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries face the No. 4 Atlanta Dream in a best-of-seven series. Both teams are seeking their first championship, and ESPN has released its final ranking of the top 15 players in the 2026 playoffs.
Atlanta dominated the top of the list, with three of the first four spots. Angel Reese, the 2024 No. 7 draft pick, claimed the No. 1 spot. In her first postseason, she is averaging 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds, and she is shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc. Reese was recently named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, and her two-way impact is a major reason the Dream reached the Finals for the first time since 2013.
Gabby Williams of the Valkyries is the highest scorer remaining in the Finals, averaging 22.7 points per game, nearly eight more than her regular-season average. She is also shooting 40.5% from three-point range. After finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Williams has helped Golden State reach the Finals within striking distance of a title.
Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada also rank highly for Atlanta. Canada, the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft, has won two WNBA titles with Seattle and is now averaging 8.8 assists in the playoffs. Dream guard Allisha Gray, one of the league's best when healthy, is not included in full strength because of a hand injury sustained in the semifinals.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing