Atlanta Dream sweep Liberty to reach WNBA Finals for first time since 2013
In short
Atlanta beat New York 85-83 on October 9 to complete a three-game semifinal sweep and reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013. Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21.
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The Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013 by beating the New York Liberty 85-83 in New York on October 9. Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21, The Boston Globe reported. The fourth-seeded Dream completed a three-game sweep and had not lost a postseason game this season, according to AP and The Boston Globe. [ 1 , 2 ]
Atlanta led 83-81 with 17.7 seconds remaining after a turnover gave New York another opportunity. Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup with nine seconds left, and DeWanna Bonner made two free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining to seal the victory, The Boston Globe reported. Howard scored 11 points in the first quarter, while Reese had 10, including two three-pointers. [ 2 ]
The Dream again played without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who injured a finger in Game 1. Gray also missed Game 2 and warmed up before Friday's game, but was ruled out about an hour before tipoff. Reese, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, joined Atlanta in an offseason trade. The Dream had not reached the semifinals since 2018 before this season and will now try to win their first championship, The Boston Globe reported. [ 2 ]
The WNBA Finals begin on October 17. AP reported that Atlanta would face Golden State, which had swept defending champion Las Vegas. The Boston Globe's report instead said Atlanta would face the winner of that series. Fox News reported that Reese described a training-camp exercise after the semifinal victory in which coach Karl Smesko required two consecutive three-pointers before the team's drill could continue. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Atlanta will seek its first championship, with the Finals beginning October 17. The Dream reached the championship round despite leading scorer Allisha Gray missing the game with a finger injury.
Key facts
- The Dream defeated the Liberty 85-83 to complete a three-game semifinal sweep. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Reese scored 22 points and Howard scored 21. [ 2 ]
- The Dream last reached the WNBA Finals in 2013. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- DeWanna Bonner made two free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining. [ 2 ]
- Allisha Gray missed the game with a finger injury sustained in Game 1. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The reports differ on whether Atlanta's Finals opponent had been decided. AP says Atlanta will face Golden State; The Boston Globe says it will face the winner of the Las Vegas-Golden State series.