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Atlanta Dream End Eight-Year Playoff Drought
Confirmed
In Short: The Atlanta Dream secured their spot in the WNBA semifinals with a 93-75 victory over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, ending an eight-year playoff drought.
The Dream never trailed during the game, opening with a 17-8 lead in the first quarter and maintaining a 24-17 edge at halftime.
Atlanta extended their lead to 41-28 by the end of the third quarter, despite the Mystics' efforts to close the gap.
Allisha Gray was the standout player for the Dream, scoring a team-high 22 points and making critical plays throughout the game.
The Dream's defense also played a crucial role, recording 10 steals and four blocks to shut down the Mystics' offense.
The Dream's victory sets up a semifinals matchup against the New York Liberty, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday.
The Dream's success this season has been fueled by the contributions of their star players, including Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese.
Despite entering the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, the Dream's depth and consistent performance have made them one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
The Mystics, who finished the regular season with a 28-16 record, were playing with house money in the postseason, as few predicted their success at the start of the season.
The Dream's ability to pull away late in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mystics 28-17, showcased their resilience and determination to advance.
The Dream's victory marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which had not reached the second round of the playoffs in years.
The Dream's journey to the semifinals demonstrates the importance of postseason depth and consistent performance, regardless of regular-season records.
What this adds
The Dream's victory ends a long-standing postseason drought, marking a significant turnaround for the franchise.
The Dream's success in the playoffs highlights the impact of their star players and the contributions of the entire roster.
The Mystics' playoff run, despite finishing with a strong regular-season record, underscores the unpredictability of the postseason.
Background
The Atlanta Dream secured the No. 4 seed in the 2026 WNBA playoffs with a victory over the New York Liberty.
What's confirmed
- The Dream never trailed during the game, opening with a 17-8 lead in the first quarter and maintaining a 24-17 edge at halftime.
- Atlanta extended their lead to 41-28 by the end of the third quarter, despite the Mystics' efforts to close the gap.
- Allisha Gray was the standout player for the Dream, scoring a team-high 22 points and making critical plays throughout the game.
- The Dream's defense also played a crucial role, recording 10 steals and four blocks to shut down the Mystics' offense.
- The Dream's victory sets up a semifinals matchup against the New York Liberty, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday.
- The Dream's success this season has been fueled by the contributions of their star players, including Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese.
- Despite entering the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, the Dream's depth and consistent performance have made them one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
- The Mystics, who finished the regular season with a 28-16 record, were playing with house money in the postseason, as few predicted their success at the start of the season.
- The Dream's ability to pull away late in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mystics 28-17, showcased their resilience and determination to advance.
- The Dream's victory marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which had not reached the second round of the playoffs in years.
- The Dream's journey to the semifinals demonstrates the importance of postseason depth and consistent performance, regardless of regular-season records.
What's still developing
- Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream were able to take down the Washington Mystics and punch their ticket to the semifinals, while the Dallas Wings are looking to avoid elimination at the hands of the Golden State Valkyries.
- Atlanta went up by double digits to start the second quarter and led 41-28 with just over one minute left in the first half, although the Mystics closed the period on a 7-0 run to stay within striking distance.
- The first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs continued with a pair of matchups on Wednesday.
- Washington still trailed by just six points as under seven minutes remained in the third, but the Dream went on a 15-6 run of their own to gain some more breathing room.
- The Dream eventually pulled away late in the fourth, outscoring Washington 28-17 in the final 10 minutes of action to cruise to the win.
- One of the matchups in the WNBA semifinals is set.
- The Atlanta Dream secured their spot Wednesday as they swept the Washington Mystics with a 93-75 victory.
- The guard had a team-high 22 points and kept making big plays every time the Mystics threatened to come back.
- Gray is in her 10th season and Canada is in her ninth, having won WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020 with Seattle.
- But when the games mattered most, the Dream consistently found another gear.
- Atlanta completed a first-round sweep of the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night, pulling away late for a 93-75 victory at CareFirst Arena.
- The veteran guard scored seven straight points during a crucial fourth-quarter run and finished with 17, helping the Dream turn a close game into a convincing victory.