Reese or Williams at No. 1? Ranking the top 15 players in the WNBA Finals
Source: ESPN ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
The WNBA Finals begin Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET as the No. 2‑seed Golden State Valkyries face the No. 4‑seed Atlanta Dream in a best‑of‑seven series, each chasing its first championship. ESPN’s final postseason ranking highlights the Dream’s dominance at the top, with three of the first four spots, while the Valkyries add a fifth player thanks to their depth. Forward Alyssa Reese, the 2024 No. 7 draft pick and league Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Dream’s list, averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 38.5 % from three‑point range. Close behind is Valkyries forward Kelsey Williams, who has surged to a 22.7 PPG playoff average—nearly 23 points per game, a jump of eight over her regular‑season output—and is shooting 40.5 % from beyond the arc on 2.8 attempts, the highest three‑point rate among all Finals participants.
The rankings underscore how individual performances have driven each team’s postseason run. Reese’s two‑way impact is cited as the “biggest reason” the Dream reached the Finals for the first time since 2013, while Williams’ scoring surge and second‑place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting have propelled the Valkyries to the brink of a title. Other notable contributors include Dream guard Allisha Gray, who, despite a hand injury that sidelined her after the semifinals, remains optimistic about returning for Game 1; veteran forward Brionna Canada, who is averaging nearly seven more points in the playoffs than in the regular season and leading the Dream with 2.2 steals per game; and Valkyries guard Kelsey Burton, whose clutch three‑pointers have repeatedly swung games in her team’s favor.
Looking ahead, the health of Allisha Gray could reshape the Dream’s offensive firepower, while the Valkyries will rely on the continued production of Williams and the timely shooting of role players like Kelsey Burton and bench scorer Kelsey Hayes, who posted 13.3 playoff points per game after a modest regular‑season average. The series will test the depth and resilience of both squads, with the Dream’s top‑ranked trio aiming to capitalize on their postseason momentum and the Valkyries hoping their newly added ranked player and clutch shooters can tip the balance in a tightly contested championship battle.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
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🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶A big result can even lift spending in the days that follow.
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- ▶A modest drift in borrowing costs is more plausible than a sharp jump.
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❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Watching a big match together can be its own kind of stress relief.
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💷Wealthmedium impact
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- ▶Money set aside for the future can afford to sit tight through this.
- ▶Steady hands usually come out ahead when this kind of news breaks.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶The housing market has a habit of lagging behind the headlines.
- ▶Anyone mid-purchase might want to keep an eye on how this unfolds.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.