This week on The IX Sports Podcast Basketball Edition, hosts Jackie Powell and Howard Megdal walk listeners through several key storylines to follow over the upcoming WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream.
First, the pair are joined by Marisa Ingemi, founder of Valkyries Beat, a partner of The IX Sports, to talk about how the team, which debuted just a year ago, has climbed to the top of the league.
“I think we can call Gabby Williams a star now. Like at this point, the way she’s been just so clutch, she’s just like a non-traditional star because she’s winning games because she’s like getting steals and stuff. She’s hitting shots too, sure. But how many game-winning steals has she had? I went back and I checked before Game Three against Las Vegas, and she had four over the season,” Ingemi said.
The team’s commitment to defense has been key to their success this season, and three players were named to WNBA All-Defensive Teams Thursday (Williams First Team, Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes Second Team). Tune in to the episode to hear more about how the Valkyries could knock off the Dream for a WNBA title.
Atlanta Dream
This week it was announced that the Dream were going to officially play their home WNBA Finals games at State Farm Arena, which seats more than 17,000 people, as opposed to the Gateway Center Arena, which can hold just 3,500.
The move was not a sure thing though, and for days it seemed like the Dream would have to play at the Gateway Center.
“It is fascinating for those of us who have been in this space for a long time to see how this has changed. Where you are in the pecking order, how you’re able to get various shareholders, for lack of a better phrase, on board to make sure that the folks who are making these decisions, who are also on the NBA side, have a stake and care in what the WNBA Finals looks like,” Megdal said.
The Dream, Powell pointed out, have a ton of star power, with three All-Stars on the team, including Angel Reese.
“The Dream are a franchise that has struggled immensely rebuilding their business operations and rebuilding their fan base after difficult years where the Dream were just deferred so much,” Powell said.
The Dream have been able to make adjustments and improvements mid-season to stay near the top of the league, Megdal said.
“A combination of WNBA institutional knowledge and a coach coming from the college ranks who has a lot of experience coaching women in this sport,” Powell sai
Tune in to the episode to hear Powell and Megdal discuss what comes next for the New York Liberty — and how Breanna Stewart is working to shape that future.
Make sure to subscribe to The IX Sports Podcast for in-depth coverage of women’s soccer, hockey and basketball; and tune in each weekday morning for a quick overview of the biggest headlines on Women’s Sports Daily, like WNBA news and PWHL expansion updates.
