The 2026 WNBA Finals are underway and the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are competing for their first championship. Despite neither team having a Finals trophy, the players on the floor have undeniable championship pedigree. Both rosters feature players who made their names in college basketball before reaching the pros. Here is a look at the college journeys of six players competing in this year's Finals.

Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream

University of Maryland, LSU

Angel Reese attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, where ESPN ranked her the No. 2 overall high school prospect in the Class of 2020. She began her college career at Maryland, debuting with 20 points and nine rebounds against Davidson.

A fractured right foot sidelined Reese just four games into her freshman season, but she returned to help Maryland win the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. As a sophomore, she averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team honors.

Reese transferred to LSU in 2022 and quickly became one of the nation's top players. During the 2022-23 season, she recorded 34 double-doubles, setting an NCAA single-season record. She helped lead LSU to its first national championship, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the title-game victory over Iowa. Reese was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

After another standout season at LSU, Reese was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She established herself as one of the league's leading rebounders before being traded to Atlanta earlier this season.

In her first season with the Dream, Reese set WNBA single-season records with 521 rebounds and 32 double-doubles. She also earned the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award. Four games into the Finals, she is averaging 18.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 60 percent from three. If the Dream can win two of the final three games Reese would likely add an MVP trophy alongside her championship ring to her stacked trophy cabinet.

Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries

University of Connecticut

Gabby Williams began her college basketball career at UConn in 2014, where she averaged 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. She was named American Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year and helped the Huskies win the 2015 national championship.

Williams helped UConn win another national title in 2016, starting the championship game against Syracuse and finishing with nine points and eight rebounds.

During her junior season, Williams averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She also recorded 190 assists, becoming the first UConn post player to lead the team in assists. In January 2017, she recorded a triple-double against East Carolina with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Williams was named the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-American honors.

As a senior, Williams helped UConn reach its fourth consecutive Final Four and won the 2018 Cheryl Miller Award, recognizing the nation's top small forward. She finished her college career with 1,582 points, 1,007 rebounds and 305 steals.

The Chicago Sky selected Williams fourth overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft. After playing for Chicago and Seattle, she joined Golden State in 2026.

Williams averaged 14.4 points per game in her first season with the Valkyries and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. She scored 26 points in Golden State's Game 1 victory over Atlanta in the WNBA Finals.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

UNC Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina

Allisha Gray began her college career at North Carolina in 2013, averaging 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. She earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors and helped the Tar Heels reach the Elite Eight of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

During her sophomore season, Gray averaged a team-high 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She earned first-team All-ACC honors and became the 35th player in North Carolina history to reach 1,000 career points. Her 1,053 points across two seasons were the second-most by a Tar Heel in their first two years.

Following the 2014-15 season, Gray transferred to South Carolina. After sitting out a year under NCAA transfer rules, she joined the Gamecocks under head coach Dawn Staley.

Gray averaged 13.2 points and five rebounds per game during the 2016-17 season. In the NCAA Tournament, she averaged 16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, helping South Carolina advance to its first national championship game. She scored 18 points against Stanford in the Final Four before recording 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 67-55 victory over Mississippi State, securing the program's first national title. Gray was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

The Dallas Wings selected Gray fourth overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft, and she earned Rookie of the Year honors. After six seasons with Dallas, she was traded to Atlanta in 2023. Gray averaged a team-high 19 points per game during the 2026 regular season, helping the Dream reach the WNBA Finals.

Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries

Northwestern

Veronica Burton began her college basketball career at Northwestern in 2018, averaging 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game as a freshman. She led the Big Ten with 81 steals and helped Northwestern reach the 2019 WNIT championship game, where she scored a team-high 16 points in a loss to Arizona.

During her sophomore season, Burton averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 assists per game. She helped Northwestern claim a share of the 2020 Big Ten regular-season title, the program's first conference championship in 30 years. Burton was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, an award she would win three consecutive times.

As a junior, Burton averaged 16.2 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.8 steals per game. She led the NCAA in steals per game and helped Northwestern reach the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, where the Wildcats were eliminated by Louisville.

Burton averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 assists and four steals per game during her senior season. She was named the WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year and became the first Northwestern women's basketball player selected to an Associated Press All-America team.

She finished her college career with 394 steals and 575 assists, ranking second and third, respectively, in program history.

The Dallas Wings selected Burton seventh overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft. After playing for Dallas and Connecticut, she joined Golden State through the expansion draft. Burton earned WNBA Most Improved Player honors in 2025 and averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 assists per game in 2026, helping the Valkyries reach their first WNBA Finals.

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

University of Kentucky

Rhyne Howard began her college career at Kentucky in 2018, averaging 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a freshman. She led the Wildcats in both categories, becoming just the second freshman in program history to do so. Howard was named SEC Freshman of the Year and earned national freshman of the year honors.

During her sophomore season, Howard averaged 23.4 points per game, ranking second nationally. She set a Kentucky single-season record with 84 three-pointers and scored a career-high 43 points against Alabama, tying the school's single-game scoring record. Howard was named SEC Player of the Year and earned Associated Press First-Team All-American honors.

As a junior, Howard averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She also led Kentucky with 91 assists and earned her second consecutive SEC Player of the Year award. Howard helped the Wildcats reach the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, scoring 28 points against Iowa in their final game.

During her senior season, Howard averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She helped Kentucky win its first SEC Tournament championship in 40 years, scoring 32 points against LSU in the quarterfinals and 18 against top-ranked South Carolina in the championship game. Howard finished with 88 points across four tournament games and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Howard ended her Kentucky career with 2,290 points, ranking second in program history, and a school-record 284 three-pointers. She also earned three consecutive AP First-Team All-American selections.

The Atlanta Dream selected Howard first overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and she earned Rookie of the Year honors. In 2026, Howard averaged 17.7 points per game, finished with the second-most three-pointers in WNBA single-season history with 134 three-pointers and tied the league record with 100 steals, helping Atlanta reach the WNBA Finals.

Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State Valkyries

Princeton University, University of Connecticut

Kaitlyn Chen began her college basketball career at Princeton, although her freshman season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She made her debut in the 2021-22 season, averaging 10.5 points and 3.2 assists per game.

In the 2022 Ivy League Tournament championship, Chen scored a season-high 30 points against Columbia, helping Princeton secure the conference title. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Chen followed with 17 points against Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, helping Princeton advance to the second round.

During her junior season, Chen averaged 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She was named Ivy League Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Ivy honors. In the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Chen scored 22 points in Princeton's first-round victory over NC State before adding 19 points in a second-round loss to Utah.

As a senior, Chen averaged 15.8 points and 4.9 assists per game. She scored a career-high 31 points against Villanova in December 2023 and helped Princeton win its third consecutive Ivy League Tournament championship. Chen earned her third straight tournament Most Outstanding Player award and received WBCA All-America honorable mention recognition.

Chen finished her Princeton career with 1,276 points and 359 assists, ranking 12th and third, respectively, in program history.

After graduating in 2024, Chen transferred to UConn for her final year of eligibility. She started all 40 games, averaging 6.9 points per game and recording 135 assists. Chen scored 15 points against USC in the Elite Eight on the road to UConn’s 2025 national championship victory.

Golden State selected Chen 30th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. After averaging two points per game as a rookie, she increased her production to 7.2 points and 1.9 assists per game in 2026, helping the Valkyries reach their first WNBA Finals.