The Atlanta Dream returned to the WNBA Finals by beating the New York Liberty 85–83 on Oct. 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The victory completed a 3–0 sweep in the best-of-five semifinals. Atlanta reached the championship series for the first time since 2013 after winning a close road game to finish the matchup.
Angel Reese led Atlanta with 22 points and nine rebounds. Rhyne Howard added 21 points, while Jordin Canada finished with 19 points and 11 assists. Their combined scoring and playmaking gave the Dream multiple options during a game that remained unsettled until the final seconds.
DeWanna Bonner supplied 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Isobel Borlase scored 10 off the bench. Atlanta finished with five players in double figures despite shooting 40.6 percent from the field. The Dream also made 22 of 24 free throws, providing an important source of reliable points in a two-point victory.
Atlanta led 44–39 at halftime before New York moved ahead 68–66 through three quarters. The Dream answered by outscoring the Liberty 19–15 in the final period. That recovery made the team’s ability to respond after losing its lead central to the series-clinching result.
With Atlanta ahead 83–81 late, New York missed a chance to tie and Bonner secured the rebound. She made two free throws to create an 85–81 advantage before Breanna Stewart’s final putback reduced the margin at the buzzer. The sequence rewarded Atlanta’s rebounding and free-throw execution at the moment they mattered most.
Atlanta faces the Golden State Valkyries in the best-of-seven Finals beginning Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Dream will need four victories to win the franchise’s first championship. Atlanta’s home Finals venue remained undetermined as of Oct. 12, according to Reuters, because State Farm Arena has other bookings during the series.
GSB Take
Atlanta finished the semifinal sweep by making the closing plays required in a tight road game. Balanced scoring, Bonner’s rebounding and dependable free throws gave the team more than one way to survive pressure. Carrying that composure into a longer Finals series would give the Dream a strong foundation for the next challenge.