Atlanta Dream Beat Liberty 85-83, Sweep Into WNBA Finals

The Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 85-83 on Friday, October 9, 2026, behind Angel Reese’s team-high 22 points to complete a WNBA semifinal sweep. Rhyne Howard added 21 as Atlanta advanced to its first WNBA Finals since 2013, overcoming Jonquel Jones’s 26-point, 14-rebound performance at Barclays Center.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

First Quarter: Atlanta Establishes an Early Advantage

The Dream opened with a 25-18 first quarter, building a seven-point lead on the road. That early scoring advantage gave Atlanta room to withstand New York’s response over the next two periods.

Second Quarter: Liberty Trim the Deficit

New York outscored Atlanta 21-19 in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to 44-39 at halftime. The Liberty made progress, but the Dream retained a five-point cushion entering the break.

Third Quarter: New York Moves Ahead

The Liberty delivered their strongest offensive quarter, outscoring the Dream 29-22. New York erased its halftime deficit and carried a 68-66 lead into the fourth, putting Atlanta’s bid to finish the series under pressure.

Fourth Quarter: Dream Recover to Finish the Series

Atlanta answered with a 19-15 fourth quarter, reversing the two-point deficit and securing a two-point victory. New York’s scoring fell by 14 points from the third quarter to the fourth, and the Dream came away with the win in regulation before an announced crowd of 17,991.

Key Performers

• Angel Reese, Atlanta: Led the Dream with 22 points in the series-clinching victory.
• Rhyne Howard, Atlanta: Added 21 points, combining with Reese for 43 of Atlanta’s 85 points.
• Jordin Canada, Atlanta: Delivered a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists. Reese, Howard and Canada together accounted for 62 points.
• DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta: Collected a team-high 13 rebounds, helping the Dream finish with a 33-29 rebounding advantage.
• Jonquel Jones, New York: Led all scorers with 26 points and added 14 rebounds and three blocks, producing the game’s standout individual stat line.
• Breanna Stewart, New York: Led the Liberty with six assists.

NerdSports Stat: Both teams scored exactly 63 points from field goals despite New York making two more 3-pointers. Atlanta’s 22-20 advantage in made free throws supplied the entire two-point winning margin.

Game Analysis

Atlanta Wins Without the Better Overall Shooting Percentage

New York shot 43.5% from the field, ahead of Atlanta’s 40.6%, but the Dream made one more basket on seven additional attempts. Atlanta finished 28-for-69, while the Liberty went 27-for-62. The Dream also led 19-15 in assists, with Canada supplying 11 of their 19.

Atlanta’s four-rebound advantage accompanied that greater shot volume. The supplied statistics do not include offensive rebounds or turnovers, so they do not establish exactly how the Dream generated those extra attempts.

Free Throws Offset New York’s Extra 3-Pointers

The Liberty made nine 3-pointers to Atlanta’s seven, although the Dream were more accurate from distance: 35.0% compared with 31.0%. New York also shot an excellent 20-for-21 at the foul line, but Atlanta earned three more attempts and finished 22-for-24.

Those two additional made free throws proved decisive in the final scoring balance. Combined with Atlanta’s fourth-quarter recovery, they helped the Dream advance despite Jones’s double-double and New York’s productive third quarter.

Closing Context: Atlanta Advances With a 3-0 Sweep

The Dream completed a 3-0 semifinal series victory and returned to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013. Atlanta’s supplied regular-season record was 30-14, compared with New York’s 26-18; this playoff result ended the Liberty’s season rather than changing those regular-season marks. Although the supplied schedule lists another meeting on October 11, the completed sweep means no fourth game is needed in this series.

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