2026 WNBA Finals MVP Predictions: Pick Gabby Williams as the Favorite?

The Valkyries and Dream square off in the 2026 WNBA Finals, with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series tipping off on Saturday, October 17. Both teams swept their respective semifinal matchups, and the Valkyries enter as slight favorites to lift the trophy, with a 1.75x payout to win the series on PrizePicks.

The 2026 WNBA Finals MVP will be the 30th recipient of the award in league history, which has been handed out since the inaugural season. In all 29 previous instances, the award has gone to a member of the winning team — explaining why Valkyries F Gabby Williams enters as the favorite for the award (2.08x).

Below, we’ll break down our WNBA Finals MVP predictions and the payouts to win the award, including picks for potential winners for PrizePicks.

Make your WNBA Finals MVP prediction on PrizePicks!

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2026 WNBA Finals MVP Predictions, Picks, Winner Payouts

Though multiple players on both rosters have WNBA Finals experience, one of these two franchises will win their first title this season.

F Gabby Williams helped lead Golden State to the second seed during the regular season and can cap off a landmark campaign after earning an All-Star selection and helping France win silver at the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

She and G Veronica Burton are the biggest favorites to win the Finals MVP for the Valkyries, with all other players on the roster entering the series at 33.33x.

Meanwhile, Dream players hold four of the other top six spots to win the award.

The 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese enters her first WNBA Finals series as the favorite among her teammates to win Finals MVP. The team’s top two regular-season scorers, SG Allisha Gray (19.0 PPG) and SF Rhyne Howard (17.7 PPG), both come in at 7.14x and 6.25x, while PG Jordin Canada checks in at 7.69x.

Canada was arguably Atlanta’s best player during the semifinals and will now look to win her third WNBA title and first since the 2020 season.

Here are the top favorites to win the 2026 WNBA Finals MVP with payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Payouts from Team Picks are live as of publishing but are subject to change. Payouts listed below (like 2x) indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.

With the payouts on PrizePicks laid out, let's get to three players to consider for your 2026 WNBA Finals MVP picks, led by Valkyries F Gabby Williams and Dream F Angel Reese, capped by a long shot.

Valkyries F Gabby Williams

WNBA Finals MVP Winner Payout: Yes 2.08x | No 1.58x

Williams could have a storybook ending to her debut season in Golden State, helping lead the team to its first Finals appearance just one year after the franchise joined the league as an expansion team.

The eight-year veteran signed a three-year deal with the Valkyries in the offseason and made an immediate impact, leading the team in scoring during the regular season at 14.4 PPG while anchoring the league’s top defense by earning First-Team All-Defense honors.

As impressive as Williams was throughout the regular season, she has taken her game to another level in the 2026 playoffs. Through six games, the 30-year-old is averaging 22.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.0 APG while remaining a nuisance defensively with 1.7 steals per game. She leads all players with 17 made 3-point in the postseason, shooting an efficient 40.5% from beyond the arc.

Williams’ 2.08x payout to win Finals MVP is only slightly longer than the Valkyries’ 1.75x to lift the trophy. Her elite impact on both ends of the floor all but guarantees she will be in the running for the award if her team comes out on top.

Pick Gabby Williams to win WNBA Finals MVP on PrizePicks.

Dream F Angel Reese

WNBA Finals MVP Winner Payout: Yes 4.34x | No 1.17x

The Dream’s blockbuster trade for Reese has paid dividends in her first season with the squad.

The former seventh overall pick has been crucial to Atlanta’s success on both ends of the floor and is the favorite on her team to win Finals MVP. PrizePicks offers a 1.92x payout on the Dream to lift the trophy.

Reese has been a key figure in the Dream’s back-to-back sweeps to reach the Finals. While her rebounding numbers are down from her league-leading 12.1 RPG during the regular season, she has elevated her production in nearly every other category and improved her efficiency.

The former LSU Tiger is averaging 18.0 PPG in the playoffs and scored 20+ in the final two semifinal games to complete the sweep. She shot 50.0% or better in all three of those games — a notable improvement from her 45.1% FG% during the regular season.

Her biggest impact remains on the defensive end. The 6'4" big has elevated her rim protection, averaging 2.2 blocks per game in the playoffs compared to 0.7 during the regular season.

Her 1.6 steals per game is just below her regular-season average but remains impressive; plus, she averaged 3.0 steals per game in her three regular-season matchups against the Valkyries.

If Reese can sustain the offensive production she's shown in these playoffs against the league’s top-ranked defense, she could walk away with a WNBA Championship and more individual hardware to go along with it.

Pick Angel Reese to win WNBA Finals MVP on PrizePicks.

Valkyries G Tiffany Hayes

WNBA Finals MVP Winner Payout: Yes 33.33x | No N/A

Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes has provided a much-needed offensive spark for Natalie Nakase and a Golden State offense that can get stagnant in the half-court. The 36-year-old will face the team that drafted her in 2012 as she continues to chase her first ring in year 13.

Hayes returned to the league this offseason after announcing her retirement following a short stint with the Las Vegas Aces in 2024. She now arrives at her second WNBA Finals as the Valkyries’ second-leading postseason scorer, averaging 13.3 PPG.

Hayes was somewhat overshadowed on Golden State’s reserve unit during the regular season, with F Janelle Salaün winning Sixth Player of the Year honors after averaging 12.7 PPG off the bench. Nakase has largely removed Salaün from the playoff rotation, with Hayes serving as the first option off the bench.

The speedy guard has scored in double digits in four of the Valkyries’ six postseason games, averaging 18.3 minutes per contest, including two 20+ point performances during this playoff run.

Nakase’s trust in her veteran guard has been evident throughout the postseason, with Hayes rarely sitting down the stretch in close games. Her speed and ball-handling will be essential in relieving defensive pressure against a Dream defense that leads the postseason in steals, averaging over 10 per game.

Pick Tiffany Hayes to win WNBA Finals MVP on PrizePicks.

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Make 2026 WNBA Finals MVP Picks on PrizePicks

The 2026 WNBA Finals are here, with the Valkyries and Dream set to square off in a seven-game series beginning this weekend. The series payouts suggest we could be in for a historic battle between two elite defensive squads, each chasing their first WNBA Championship.

You can make your 2026 WNBA Finals MVP picks on PrizePicks to earn real money. With Team Picks, make WNBA Finals predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 36 states.

Keep dialed in on Playbook for more WNBA picks, predictions, and analysis for every 2026 WNBA Finals game.