Borlase and Sowah set to face off in the WNBA Finals

It's not every day you go from national team teammates to finding yourselves on opposite sides of a WNBA Finals series in the space of a few weeks. 

But that's exactly where Isobel Borlase and Miela Sowah find themselves, with the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries set to battle it out for the championship after representing Australia together at the World Cup in Berlin just last month. 

And they've knocked out some heavy competition along the way. 

Atlanta swept New York 3-0, punching their ticket to the Finals with a nail-biting 85-83 victory in Game 3 last week. Borlase chipped in 10 points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist off the bench. 

For 22-year-old Borlase, it's another milestone in her rookie WNBA season, following a whirlwind few years that have included an Olympic bronze medal, WNBL MVP honours, Asia Cup gold and a World Cup appearance. Just casually. 

While it was a big moment for Borlase, it was a bittersweet one for fellow Opal Bec Allen, whose Liberty side was eliminated in what would be her final season in the league. After announcing her retirement in August, Allen's 11-year career came full circle, bowing out with the franchise where her WNBA journey began. 

Fellow Opal and Gangurru Anneli Maley, who played alongside Allen at the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney, was also part of the Liberty organisation this season as a development player. 

Meanwhile, Golden State have had a pretty remarkable season of their own, with sharpshooter Miela Sowah part of the Valkyries setup. 

And speaking of Sowah, she's had quite the year herself. 

After helping the Townsville Fire claim the WNBL championship, Sowah earned an opportunity with Golden State, although her WNBA journey hasn't been without its twists and turns. 

Despite an impressive preseason showing, she was surprisingly waived. But the Valks clearly hadn't seen the last of her and came come calling again just weeks later with a development player opportunity. 

And the opportunities didn't stop there. Sowah found herself on a plane to Berlin last month after receiving a late call-up to the Opals World Cup team following the withdrawal of captain Sami Whitcomb. 

As for the Valkyries themselves? Things are going pretty well. 

Just two seasons into the league, they’ve already made history, becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the Finals in its second year after sweeping the defending champions from Las Vegas. 

It was a huge result against a dominant Aces outfit featuring fellow Opal Steph Talbot, who had their sights set on a fourth championship in five years. 

And that brings us to a pretty interesting Finals matchup. 

Atlanta haven't reached the Finals since 2013, and they're still dreaming about winning their first chip. Golden State, however, got the better of them in all three regular-season meetings. 

Yet, the Atlanta haven't dropped a game throughout the playoffs so far. 

Whatever the result, there's plenty for Aussie basketball fans to get around. 

The best-of-seven championship series tips off at 6:30am AEDT on Sunday 18 October at Chase Centre in San Francisco. Tune in live on ESPN via Kayo Sports / Foxtel. 

WNBA Finals Schedule (AEDT) 

*Games 5, 6 and 7 will only be played if required.