Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21 as the Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 85-83 on Friday, October 9, 2026, to sweep the semifinals series and secure their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013.
DeWanna Bonner secured the outcome by hitting two free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining. Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup with nine seconds left on the clock. Atlanta led 83-81 with 17.7 seconds remaining following a turnover, giving the Liberty one final possession. The fourth-seeded Dream completed a postseason sweep of the Liberty in New York on Friday night, keeping their playoff record spotless this season.
They will face the winner of the series between the Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries when the WNBA Finals open on Saturday, Oct. 17. Before this season, the Dream had not reached the semifinals since 2018. With the victory, the franchise advances to the championship round for the fourth time overall and the first time in 13 years. Now, the team aims to secure the franchise’s first championship by securing four more victories.
Reese and Howard Carry Atlanta Without Allisha Gray
Allisha Gray remained sidelined due to a finger injury sustained in Game 1. Gray missed Game 2 entirely, and though she warmed up prior to Friday night’s matchup, she was ruled out approximately an hour before the opening tip. Atlanta played the series finale without her.
Howard established the offense early by scoring 11 points in the first quarter, while Reese contributed 10 points in the opening period, including two 3-pointers. Reese, who earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honors after joining Atlanta via an offseason trade, stepped up to help fill the scoring void left by Gray’s absence.
“I manifested this.”
Angel Reese
Physical Play and Momentum Swings Define Game 3
After Isobel Borlase scored twice consecutively, Sabrina Ionescu received an offensive foul while setting a screen, leading to a verbal exchange between Ionescu and Reese that officials quickly separated. Moments later, Jones blocked a shot by Reese, prompting the two players to bump chests and trade words, which drew double technical fouls from the officiating crew. Tensions escalated during a physical second quarter as both teams exchanged words.
New York managed to pull within 40-39 late in the second quarter before Reese scored the final four points of the half, giving Atlanta a 44-39 advantage. New York answered immediately with a 16-4 run—scoring the first 10 points of that surge—capped by a tip-in from Jones that marked the home team’s first lead since the score was 2-0. New York carried a 68-66 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Dream responded by falling behind by four points early in the fourth quarter before rattling off eight consecutive points. This defensive effort held New York without a basket for over six minutes, allowing Atlanta to seize a 75-71 lead with 4:55 left to play and ultimately close out the sweep.
