ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream are three wins away from the WNBA Finals.
Atlanta opened the WNBA Semifinals with a 92-82 victory over the New York Liberty at State Farm Arena, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
The Dream entered halftime trailing 40-37 after a tightly contested opening half. New York led by as many as six, but Atlanta remained within striking distance before completely changing the game after the break.
The third quarter belonged to the Dream. Atlanta outscored New York 32-15 in the third, turning a three-point halftime deficit into a commanding 69-55 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Defense fueled the turnaround. The Dream forced 21 Liberty turnovers and converted them into 32 points, while committing only 13 turnovers themselves. Atlanta also dominated in transition, outscoring New York 18-0 in fast-break points.
Jordin Canada was at the center of it all. Canada finished with a team-high 25 points and five steals, repeatedly turning New York mistakes into scoring opportunities. She also delivered several big baskets late as the Liberty attempted to make one final push.
Atlanta built its lead to as many as 16, but New York refused to go quietly.
Sabrina Ionescu, who led all scorers with 27 points, helped the Liberty cut Atlanta’s advantage to five, 87-82, with 51 seconds remaining.
But the Dream closed the door. Canada knocked down a huge step-back three with 1:30 remaining to push Atlanta ahead 87-77. After New York pulled within five, Canada raced down the floor for a transition layup off a Rhyne Howard assist, extending the lead to 90-82 with 30 seconds left.
Howard then hit two free throws to put the finishing touches on the 92-82 victory.
Atlanta’s team effort went well beyond Canada. Howard helped orchestrate the offense with a game-high eight assists, while DeWanna Bonner led the Dream with nine rebounds. Atlanta’s bench also delivered in a major way, outscoring New York’s reserves 27-6.
The Dream finished with 20 assists and held a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.
Angel Reese made her presence felt defensively, helping ignite Atlanta’s third-quarter run with steals, blocks and activity around the basket. Her three-pointer early in the first quarter also gave Atlanta one of its first offensive sparks of the afternoon.
The victory did come with a major concern for Atlanta. Allisha Gray was ruled out for the remainder of the game after sustaining a left-hand injury in the first half. Her status will be something to watch closely as the series continues.
For New York, Ionescu’s 27 points led the way, while Jonquel Jones grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Breanna Stewart recorded three steals, but Atlanta’s pressure and ability to capitalize on turnovers ultimately proved too much.
The numbers told the story: New York won the first quarter 24-21 and the teams played an even second quarter, 16-16. Then Atlanta exploded out of halftime and never surrendered the lead it built during its decisive third-quarter run.
The Dream are now 3-0 in the 2026 postseason and hold a 1-0 series advantage over the Liberty.
Atlanta protected home court. Now the Dream are three wins away from playing for a WNBA championship.
Next Up: The Dream and Liberty will battle again Wednesday at State Farm Arena for Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
