Atlanta Dream Reach WNBA Finals Under Karl Smesko, Face Golden State Valkyries Karl Smesko, less than two years after leaving Florida Gulf Coast, has guided the Atlanta Dream to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013, where they will face the favored Golden State Valkyries. Karl Smesko has guided the Atlanta Dream to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013, less than two years after leaving Florida Gulf Coast University. The Dream will face the favored Golden State Valkyries in a series that begins Saturday. The championship Smesko never captured at FGCU is now four wins away. Smesko enjoyed notable success coaching the FGCU women's basketball team, but chose to pursue a new challenge in the professional ranks rather than remain at the college level. When he arrived at FGCU, the program competed in Division II.Under Smesko, FGCU routinely led the nation in 3-pointers made. The Eagles recorded eight 30-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA tournament 10 times with Smesko at the helm, but he never captured an NCAA Division I championship. Perhaps the call about the Atlanta opportunity came at just the right time. He may have accomplished nearly everything possible at FGCU, effectively reaching the program's ceiling.Perhaps Smesko realized his long-sought dream of hoisting a championship trophy would require him to step outside his comfort zone and take a chance with the actual Dream at the professional level. So far, his gamble has worked out. He has guided Atlanta to back-to-back 30-win seasons. After a first-round exit last year, the Dream swept their first two opponents in the 2026 postseason.As good as we were at Florida Gulf Coast, the odds were very stacked against us to make that type of championship run, Smesko said. In the pros, I definitely thought there was more of an opportunity. It is a more equal playing field to win the whole thing and that was appealing to me.The 2026 Finals will feature a matchup of second-year coaches: Smesko in Atlanta and Natalie Nakase in Golden State, which is in just its second year of existence. The Valkyries went 3-0 against the Dream this season, making them just the second team to sweep Smesko's club in his tenure there. Las Vegas did it last season. Smesko is quiet in many ways, and fiercely loyal.Angel Reese praised Smesko, saying, And I'm really thankful for him, for being able to help me with my career and help me be better for the team — because I don't think I would be in this situation and thriving as I am individually without him.The offer from the Dream came as FGCU was starting its 2024-25 season. He wound up leaving after two games that year, though some at the school believe he was tempted to try to handle both jobs at once for a few months and finish that season. He ended up turning the keys to FGCU over to longtime top assistant Chelsea Lyles.She ended up following in her mentor's footsteps, winning 30 games and taking the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament. Lyles wound up following Smesko to Atlanta after that season, as did others with FGCU ties. He has made clear that the familiarity has made life easier.It's been huge, Smesko said, because we think about the game a little differently.Earlier in the 2026 postseason, the Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA playoff semifinals for the first time since 2018 with a Game 2 win. The Dream then swept their semifinal opponent, reaching the Finals for the first time since 2013.On the other side of the bracket, the Golden State Valkyries erased a 16-point deficit to stun the Dallas Wings and reach the WNBA semifinals. Golden State is in just its second year of existence but has emerged as the favorite in the Finals matchup. The Associated Press contributed to this report.