Less than 2 years after coaching college hoops in Florida, Karl Smesko leads Atlanta Dream to WNBA Finals

Atlanta Dream Reach WNBA Finals for First Time Since 2013

Chase Center, San Francisco – Oct. 17, 2026 – The Atlanta Dream have made the WNBA Finals for the first time in a decade, setting up a showdown with the Golden State Valkyries in a best‑of‑five series that will begin this Saturday at Chase Center. The Dream, guided by second‑year head coach Karl Smesko, entered the playoffs after a 30‑game season and a first‑round sweep that sent them to the championship round.

Smesko, who arrived in Atlanta after a storied career at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), has turned the Dream into a perennial contender in a league that has historically seen few dominant teams. His tenure has already produced back‑to‑back 30‑win campaigns and a finals appearance that the franchise hadn’t tasted since 2013.

“As good as we were at Florida Gulf Coast, the odds were very stacked against us to make that type of championship run,” Smesko told reporters. “In the pros, I definitely thought there was more of an opportunity. It’s a more equal playing field to win the whole thing and that was appealing to me.”

Smesko’s decision to leave the college ranks was driven by the desire to pursue a championship at the highest level. When he first joined FGCU in 2015, the Eagles were a Division II program. By the time he departed in 2024, the team had become a national powerhouse: eight 30‑win seasons, ten NCAA tournament berths, and a national lead in 3‑point shots, but no Division I title. “Perhaps the call about the opportunity in Atlanta came at just the right time for Smesko. He may have accomplished nearly everything possible at FGCU, effectively reaching the program’s ceiling,” observers noted.

Smesko left FGCU early in the 2024‑25 season, after only two games, to take the helm of the Dream. He turned the key to the university over longtime assistant Chelsea Lyles, who stepped in and guided FGCU to another 30‑game season and an NCAA tournament appearance. Lyles would later join Smesko in Atlanta, bringing continuity to the coaching staff.

The Dream’s 2026 playoff run has been historic. After a first‑round exit in 2025, the team swept the first two opponents they faced, marking the first time in franchise history they had advanced to the finals. Their victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in the semifinals was a 34‑point rout that sent the Dream back to their home city.

Golden State, coached by second‑year Natalie Nakase, entered the finals as the favorite. The Valkyries are only in their second season and had gone 3‑0 against the Dream in the regular season, making them the second team to sweep Smesko’s club in his tenure there. They are also the only other team to have swept the Dream this season, with Las Vegas having done so in 2025 before winning the title.

Angel Reese, the Dream’s leading scorer and the league’s most valuable player, has spoken highly of Smesko’s coaching. “He’s a coach that really believes in you and he knows what’s best,” Reese said. “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 Finals series will begin Saturday night in San Francisco, with Game 1 slated to take place at the Chase Center, the home of the Golden State Valkyries. The Dream will travel to the West Coast for the first time since 2013 to chase the title that has long eluded them.

Smesko’s impact on the Dream extends beyond wins and losses. He has been described as quiet but fiercely loyal, and his ability to recruit former assistants to his staff has made the transition smoother for the team. “It’s been huge,” he said. “Because we think about the game a little differently.”

With the Dream now four games away from a championship, the question remains whether Smesko’s gamble at the professional level will pay off. The series will test both coaches, each in only their second year at the helm, as they confront the ultimate challenge in women’s basketball. Whether the Dream can break the decade‑long drought or if the Valkyries can secure a first title will be decided in the next two weeks of high‑stakes competition.