The Atlanta Dream held off the New York Liberty 101-98 on Wednesday at State Farm Arena, taking a 2-0 lead in the WNBA Semifinals. Angel Reese scored 23 points and Jordin Canada added 23 points with eight assists to push Atlanta past a 35-point effort from Breanna Stewart.
The Dream built their margin in the paint and at the free-throw line, outscoring New York 21-16 from the stripe on 91% shooting. Atlanta also forced 17 Liberty turnovers that turned into 28 points, while committing just nine turnovers of its own that New York converted into only 10 points. That turnover gap, 19 points in Atlanta’s favor, covered the difference in a game New York actually won the shooting battle, hitting 55% from the field compared to Atlanta’s 40%.
Key Moments And How It Was Won
New York built a 14-7 lead in the first quarter behind a Stewart surge that included back-to-back three-pointers, but Atlanta answered with a 7-0 run capped by Jordin Canada’s three-pointer at the 23.3 mark to take a 26-24 edge. Stewart’s turnaround jumper at the buzzer tied it 26-26 after one.
Atlanta controlled the second quarter, with Angel Reese scoring seven straight Dream points on a three-pointer, a layup and a free throw to push the lead to 34-29. Jordin Canada kept the pressure on with back-to-back buckets, and the Dream carried a 56-46 lead into halftime after outscoring New York 30-28 in the period.
The Liberty would not go away. New York outscored Atlanta in the third quarter, pulling within single digits, and the lead changed hands 17 times over the course of the game, a sign of how tightly contested the semifinal was despite the final score.
Atlanta’s offensive rebounding proved decisive down the stretch. The Dream grabbed 11 offensive boards compared to five for New York, generating extra possessions that helped close out a game in which Atlanta shot just 40% from the field.
Top Performers
Angel Reese finished with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds, five offensive boards and a plus-11 rating in 39 minutes. Jordin Canada matched Reese’s scoring total with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, five rebounds and eight assists. Rhyne Howard added 18 points in 44 minutes, and Naz Hillmon posted 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 35 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and six assists in 43 minutes for New York. Jonquel Jones contributed 21 points and eight rebounds, and Sabrina Ionescu dished a team-high seven assists to go with 10 points. Stewart’s 35-point, 11-rebound performance was not enough to offset Atlanta’s advantage at the foul line and on the glass.
What It Means
Atlanta improved to 30-14 and now holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, putting the Dream one win from advancing out of the WNBA Semifinals. New York fell to 26-18 and must win the next three games to extend its season. Atlanta finished the regular season atop the Eastern Conference, while New York sat fourth.
The Dream’s defensive turnaround was central to the result. Atlanta forced 17 total turnovers while limiting its own giveaways to nine, a 19-point swing in points off turnovers that offset a 15-percentage-point deficit in field-goal shooting. Reese’s performance continues a strong postseason stretch after a regular season in which she was recognized for her defensive play.
What’s Next
Game 3 is in New York, where the Liberty face elimination.
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