The Atlanta Dream secured a spot in the WNBA semifinals on Wednesday night, completing a first-round sweep of the Washington Mystics with a 93-75 victory at CareFirst Arena. The win ended an eight-year postseason drought for the franchise, as Atlanta had not advanced beyond the opening round since 2018. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 22 points in the clinching game, while Jordin Canada provided a late surge with 17 points to seal the series.
The Dream will face the New York Liberty in the semifinals, who made history by becoming the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs. The Liberty swept the Minnesota Lynx in the first round, winning both games by double-digit margins. Sabrina Ionescu scored 18 points and dished out seven assists in the series-clinching 87-71 victory, emphasizing the Liberty’s belief in their ability to compete at the highest level despite their seeding.
Atlanta’s postseason run began with a 92-77 win in Game 1, where the Dream forced 22 Mystics turnovers and set a franchise playoff record with 16 steals. Rhyne Howard (26 points, five steals) and Angel Reese (13 points, 12 rebounds) led the charge in the series opener. Washington, making its first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship, struggled with turnovers and defensive lapses throughout the series.
The Mystics nearly rallied in Game 2, cutting Atlanta’s lead to three in the fourth quarter before Canada’s scoring burst extended the Dream’s advantage. Washington finished the regular season tied with Atlanta for the WNBA’s best record after the All-Star break, but the Mystics were unable to overcome the Dream’s depth and defensive intensity in the playoffs.
The Liberty’s historic upset of the Lynx was driven by a balanced offensive attack, with Breanna Stewart (34 points in Game 1, 21 in Game 2) and Jonquel Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds in Game 2) leading the way. Minnesota, which finished the regular season with a league-best 33-11 record, shot just 38% from the floor in the series-clinching loss. Rookie Olivia Miles, the unanimous Rookie of the Year, managed just five points in the final game after averaging 19.8 points during the regular season.
The semifinals will mark the first meeting between the Dream and Liberty this season. Atlanta enters the series with a league-best regular-season record and a roster featuring multiple All-Stars, while New York will look to build on its momentum after ending a two-year playoff drought with back-to-back upsets. The winner of this matchup will face the winner of the Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm series in the WNBA Finals.