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Atlanta Dream Secure First Finals Berth Since 2013 with Sweep of Liberty
Confirmed
In Short: The Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013 after sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinals.
The Atlanta Dream secured their first WNBA Finals berth since 2013 with a thrilling 85-83 victory over the New York Liberty in Game 3 of their semifinal series.
Early in the second half, the Dream pushed their lead to 12 points, but the Liberty responded and took a lead into the fourth quarter.
When Sabrina Ionescu hit a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the final frame, it seemed the Liberty might pull away.
However, the Dream's resilience and strong performances from key players like Angel Reese and Jordin Canada ensured their victory.
Reese, who scored 23 points, and Canada, who contributed 19 points and 11 assists, were pivotal in overcoming the Liberty's determined effort.
The Dream's journey to the Finals was marked by dominant performances, including a sweep of the Washington Mystics in the opening round.
This season marks a significant turnaround for the Dream, who hadn't reached the semifinals since 2018.
Stewart, who was watching the Finals last season and tweeted about manifesting the finals, emphasized the importance of staying poised and aggressive throughout the game.
The Dream will face either the Golden State Valkyries or Las Vegas Aces in the Finals, which begin on October 17.
The Liberty, despite their efforts, fell short in their bid to extend their season.
Reese noted, 'I think we did a great job making sure that we were all on the connected stream.'
What this adds
The Dream's victory adds to their impressive playoff run, which included a 101-98 overtime win in Game 2.
The Liberty's strong performance in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 2 highlights the close nature of the series.
The Dream's path to the Finals is a testament to their improved play and strategic approach throughout the season.
What's confirmed
- The Atlanta Dream advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013 in thrilling fashion with an 85-83 victory over the New York Liberty in Game 3 of their semifinal series.
- “Experience in the playoffs definitely matters,” Stewart said Friday before practice.
- The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx will host the No. 8 New York Liberty in a rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the No. 2 Valkyries will host the No. 7 Dallas Wings, the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces will begin their title defense against the No. 6 Indiana Fever, and the No. 4 Atlanta Dream will welcome the No. 5 Washington Mystics to town.
- Angel Reese scored 23 points, Naz Hillmon made the go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds left in overtime and the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the WNBA semifinals.
What's still developing
- "What I'm thinking about right now is a lost opportunity," Stewart said.
- The Atlanta Dream are heading back to the WNBA Finals, and this time, they're hoping to finish the job.
- Two teams that had different paths to the semifinals while also sharing some similar patterns during the regular season now have the opportunity to secure a spot in the WNBA Finals.
- In fact, those victories by the Dream were also the final two games of the season for both Atlanta and New York, adding another layer to the competition.
- Here are the four series that begin Sunday, Sept. 27: At the time of publication, the WNBA has yet to assign television slots for the Game 1s.
- Not only did the lower-seeded Liberty win the season series 2-1, with the most recent win coming approximately one week ago, but some might even suggest that the Lynx “strategically” attempted to avoid this matchup, whereas the Liberty were aiming for it.
- Swish Appeal photographer Christina Merrion captured the best moments from another big Dream win.
- New York guard Pauline Astier (18) drives to the basket against Atlanta forward Naz Hillmon (00) during the first half in Game 2 of the WNBA basketball semifinals, Wednesday, Oct.
- When the final buzzer sounded, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever took down the Las Vegas Aces, 99-89, to force a Game 3, while the New York Liberty eliminated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, 87-71, with a two-game sweep.
- 8-seed New York Liberty have a date in the WNBA playoffs on Sunday, Sept.
- And after a 91-75 loss to the Liberty in Game 1 of this years best-of-three first round, the Lynx are heading to Brooklyn with their season on the line once again.
- Regardless, Lynx guard Kayla McBride called some of the Lynx’s Game 1 offensive struggles “self-inflicted,” noting that missed shots led to the Liberty (which outrebounded the Lynx 38-23) getting out ahead for open looks.