Is Valkyries’ Synergy Enough to Beat Angel Reese and the Dream’s Defense?

I’m not going to lie, I wanted this story to be about the undeniable success of Gabby Williams and the Valkyries. It’s hard not to get on the Ballhalla bandwagon. But I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the defensive prowess of Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream heading into the WNBA Finals. Read more: WNBA Finals Valkyries Dream

Reese’s record season

Reese won the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, and rightfully so. She received 46 votes to Williams’ 20. Reese averaged 1.8 steals per game, third in the league, and she owned the glass like no one in WNBA history. She set single-season records for total rebounds (521) and offensive rebounds (206). She led the league with 12.1 rebounds per game and set another record with 32 double-doubles. With Reese anchoring the paint, Atlanta allowed a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.

This isn’t an argument for the Dream to win the WNBA Finals. It’s an argument that the Valkyries have not seen this kind of defense on this stage. Golden State did win all three regular-season meetings, but June and early July games are not the Finals.

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The Aces came the closest. A’ja Wilson averaged 1.4 steals, 1.9 blocks and 7.5 defensive rebounds per game. It’s hard to say she didn’t deserve more than four votes or that she couldn’t go toe-to-toe with Reese defensively. The Valkyries may have swept the Aces in the semifinals, but the Dream bring something different. They have elite defense at more than one position.

More than one defender

The problem isn’t just Angel Reese, though.

Rhyne Howard received only one vote for DPOY, but she ended the regular season with 2.3 steals, 0.9 blocks and 3.1 defensive rebounds per game. Atlanta can pressure the ball on the perimeter and still own the boards inside. Jordin Canada and Howard both average 2.2 steals per game in the postseason. Allisha Gray, who is dealing with a hand injury, is tied for third with 2.0 per game. They are tenacious and create chaos on the perimeter.

So will the Dream’s defense be enough to stop the Valkyries? Defense can slow a team down. It’s harder to break a team that trusts each other.

Chemistry from the top

The Valkyries have the chemistry that you only see from a championship-level team. The chemistry starts from the top with Joe Lacob. Lacob brought the Warriors’ expectations with him. He also is looking toward the future and not just building his franchise. He wants the WNBA to be successful as a whole. Lacob was part of the reason the Dream will be playing Games 3 and 4 of the Finals in State Farm Arena. He put pressure on the NBA and WNBA commissioners.

“I put quite a bit of pressure on the commissioner of the NBA and the WNBA,” Lacob told The Associated Press. “I felt, look, it’s not really about us, it’s about the league. The look would not be too good to have Ballhalla and 18,000 fans here and 3,500 over there.”

He has also put full trust in head coach Natalie Nakase to build a winning team. Nakase won two championships as an assistant under Aces head coach Becky Hammon. She won Coach of the Year in 2025 as a first-time WNBA head coach with a first-year expansion team.

Williams on the big stage

Williams has played on the biggest stage, as well. She led France to the gold-medal game at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. They lost 67-66 to the United States. Williams had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, and shot 50% from 3-point range. Last month, she and France fell to the U.S. again in the World Cup final.

It’s clear that Golden State’s culture is different. The players believe in each other, and the front office has put its full trust in Nakase. She put her full trust in Williams.

“I came here just because I just wanted someone to believe in me, that’s really it, in the league at least,” Williams told The Associated Press. She told The IX: “I never quite got that belief in the W from the staff or from my teammates.”

The cliché quote “defense wins championships” might just ring true for the Dream, but they will have to break through the Ballhalla energy and continuity the Valkyries have built.