Dream Complete Sweep to Reach WNBA Finals
The Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013 by completing a three-game sweep of the New York Liberty with an 85-83 victory on Friday night in New York. Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21 for the fourth-seeded Dream, who have not lost a game during their 2026 postseason run. Atlanta had not reached the semifinals since 2018 before this season, and now sits four wins away from the franchise's first championship.[S1][S2]
With Atlanta holding an 83-81 lead and 17.7 seconds remaining, a turnover gave New York a final chance to tie or win. Liberty star Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup with nine seconds left, and Atlanta's DeWanna Bonner made two free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining to seal the win. The Dream won Game 1 92-82 and Game 2 101-98 in overtime at State Farm Arena before closing out the series on the road.[S1][S2]
Reese and Howard Lead Short-Handed Atlanta
Reese, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, joined Atlanta this offseason via trade and has been a key reason for the Dream's run. She scored 10 points in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers, while Howard got the Dream going early with 11 points in the opening period. Atlanta played without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who has been sidelined with a finger injury sustained in Game 1. Gray missed Game 2 and warmed up before Friday's game but was ruled out about an hour before tip-off, cheering from the bench in a Howard jersey.[S1]
The game grew chippy in the second quarter. After Isobel Borlase scored twice in a row, Sabrina Ionescu was called for an offensive foul while setting a screen on her, and Ionescu and Reese exchanged words before officials separated them. Minutes later, Jonquel Jones blocked Reese's shot and the two bumped chests while talking, leading the referees to assess both a technical foul. New York cut the deficit to 40-39 late in the half before Reese scored the final four points of the second quarter to give Atlanta a 44-39 lead.[S1]
Liberty's Season Ends Despite Jones and Stewart's 26 Points
The Dream opened the third quarter with seven straight points to take a 51-39 lead, but New York responded with a 16-4 run, including the first 10 points of that stretch, to take its first lead since 2-0 on a Jones tip-in. The Liberty led 68-66 after three quarters. Atlanta trailed by four early in the fourth before scoring the next eight points to go ahead 75-71 with 4:55 left, holding New York without a basket for over six minutes. The teams traded baskets before Atlanta moved ahead 83-79 with a minute remaining. Jones hit a layup to make it a two-point game, but it wasn't enough. Jones and Stewart finished with 26 points apiece.[S1]
The loss ended a frustrating season for New York, which returned most of the same core that won the franchise's first championship two years ago. The team struggled for consistency and finished as the No. 8 seed, then knocked off top-seeded Minnesota in the first round before falling to the Dream. Atlanta's opponent for the championship round remains undecided as the semifinal series between Las Vegas and Golden State continues. The league confirmed Game 1 of the WNBA Finals will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, but officials have not yet released the official tip-off time or television broadcast schedule.[S1][S2]
