Most WNBA preseason predictions had at least one of the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces going to the finals once again—and most featured both. The Aces returned pretty much the same roster that won them the 2025 WNBA Championship, and the Liberty added Satou Sabally to their big three. Moreover, it’s been years since a WNBA Finals matchup didn’t feature either A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart.
That streak could come to an end this year.
The Aces and Liberty are both down 0-2 to the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream, respectively. No team has ever bounced back from a 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five series. So, history now favors a Dream-Valkyries finals matchup that seemed almost unthinkable before the season.
Sure, the Dream and Valkyries had interesting rosters. However, several of Atlanta’s key players were unproven in the playoffs and Bri Jones’s injury was a big concern. The Valkyries, meanwhile, lacked the star power that tends to win championships, as well as offensive consistency. Neither team looked like it was quite ready for title contention just yet.
More importantly, it simply seemed incredibly unlikely that two brand new contenders would meet in the finals, ousting the proven veteran teams that dominated the championship race in recent years. And yet, here we are: two wins away from a WNBA final series that features neither Wilson nor Stewart.
Things didn’t go as planned for the Liberty and Aces
Both the Aces and Liberty had to deal with adversity this season. Sabally barely played before being ruled out for the playoffs, and hiring a first-time head coach to lead a team with championship expectations was a very risky choice that hasn’t always looked great.
The Aces, meanwhile, were without Dana Evans for most of the season and lost NaLyssa Smith to a season-ending knee injury.
Both teams are still in the playoffs, but making the finals will be an uphill battle. The Liberty couldn’t beat the Dream in overtime even though Allisha Gray was sidelined. They turned the ball over on a crucial late-game possession and then didn’t know that they had a reset timeout left to get a good shot on the final possession. That lack of late-game execution from a veteran squad doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence that they can win three consecutive games when no team before them has been able to pull it off.
The Aces kept Game 2 close, losing by just two points, but they have struggled to keep up with the Valkyries’ hustle, extra effort, and depth. The Valkyries won the rebounding battle twice, cashing in on valuable second-chance opportunities the Aces cannot afford to give up. Unless Jackie Young can really get going offensively, the Aces will struggle to hand the Valkyries three consecutive losses, including one on their home court.
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