The Cinderella WNBA Finals Matchup

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We're getting a Cinderella story in this year's WNBA Finals. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries both swept their semifinal series last Friday and will face each other in the 2026 WNBA Finals. (ESPN)

📺 Watch the Game 3 highlights for Atlanta vs New York and Golden State vs Las Vegas

WHY IT MATTERS: This is a matchup few fans would have predicted at the start of the season. Atlanta is back in the Finals for the first time since 2013, while Golden State has reached its first Finals in just its second season as an expansion team.

There's one unfortunate wrinkle for Atlanta. A scheduling conflict at State Farm Arena means the Dream will host their Finals games at Gateway Center Arena, which seats just 3,500 fans.

There’s a new Gamecock in town. Jezelle “GG” Banks, the No. 4 recruit in the class of 2027, has committed to South Carolina over Texas and LSU. (ESPN)

📺 Check out GG Banks highlights from this past summer

WHY IT MATTERS: You might recognize Banks from this year's WNBA All-Star Weekend, when she teamed up with Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin to win the Shooting Stars competition. She is the highest-ranked point guard to commit so far in the 2027 class, giving Dawn Staley an important piece that fills holes left by recent graduates such as Raven Johnson. The 5-foot-10 point guard is the Gamecocks' second commitment in the class.

The Spida is calling it. After 11 WNBA seasons, Rebecca Allen has retired. The Australian guard had said on the Under the Spotlight podcast in August that 2026 would be her final season. (Yahoo Sports)

WHY IT MATTERS: Allen went undrafted in 2015 but built an 11-season WNBA career, playing for New York, Connecticut, Phoenix, and Chicago. She also represented Australia in major international competitions for more than a decade. She was a key role player for several WNBA teams over her career, including seven seasons with New York.