The Atlanta Dream can close out the WNBA semifinals Friday night when they visit the New York Liberty in Dream vs Liberty Game 3 at Barclays Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with Atlanta holding a 2-0 series lead and New York needing a win to extend the best-of-five set.
Atlanta reached this point by winning an overtime thriller in Game 2, taking down New York 101-98 on Wednesday behind 23 points apiece from Angel Reese and Jordin Canada. That result came two nights after the Dream’s series-opening win in Game 1, a 92-82 decision in which Canada poured in 25 points.
Game 3 Information
- Date: Friday, Oct. 9
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- TV: ESPN2
- Series: Atlanta Dream lead 2-0, WNBA Semifinals
Can Atlanta Close Out The Series On The Road?
Atlanta enters Game 3 having won nine of its last ten regular-season games and carrying that momentum into the postseason. The Dream finished the regular season 30-14 overall and 15-5 in the Eastern Conference, and they have now beaten New York in each of the first two playoff meetings. A win Friday would send Atlanta to its first WNBA Finals since 2013.
Reese has been the engine of that push. She averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks on the season and followed her Game 2 performance by scoring six of Atlanta’s 13 overtime points. Canada, Atlanta’s assist leader at 7.3 per game, has scored 23 and 25 points in the first two games of this series.
What Is New York’s Path To Forcing A Game 4?
New York has lost three straight games overall, including the last two to Atlanta by a combined seven points. Breanna Stewart has kept the Liberty competitive on her own, scoring 35 points in Game 2 with 25 of those coming in the first half, and Sabrina Ionescu added 27 in the series opener. Stewart leads New York in scoring this season at 20.8 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
New York finished the regular season 26-18 and 13-7 in conference play, a step behind Atlanta in both overall record and recent form. The Liberty went 6-4 over their final ten regular-season games compared to Atlanta’s 9-1 mark over the same stretch, and they have been outscored in both Game 1 and Game 2 of this series despite OT.
Who Is Banged Up Heading Into Game 3?
Atlanta guard Allisha Gray, the team’s leading scorer at 19.0 points per game, is listed as day-to-day with a left hand injury. Forward Brionna Jones remains out for the season with a left leg injury, and guard Matilde Villa is out for a coach’s decision. For New York, forward Satou Sabally is out for the season with a concussion and guard Elizabeth Balogun is out for a reason unrelated to injury. Both injury designations are current as of Thursday and could change before tipoff.
By The Numbers
- Points per game (season): Atlanta 94.5, New York 89.5
- Field goal percentage: Atlanta 42.6%, New York 48.6%
- Three-point percentage: Atlanta 36.7%, New York 41.8%
- Assists per game: Atlanta 20.0, New York 21.0
- Turnovers per game: Atlanta 8.8, New York 16.3
- Steals per game: Atlanta 11.8, New York 7.3
- Blocks per game: Atlanta 3.8, New York 6.5
- Offensive rebounds per game: Atlanta 8.0, New York 7.3
What To Watch
Atlanta’s defense has forced New York into costly mistakes through two games, and the turnover gap in the series numbers above shows why the Dream have controlled possessions. If that trend holds Friday, Atlanta will be in position to finish the sweep and reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013. New York’s counter has been its three-point shooting and Stewart’s scoring, both of which kept Game 2 alive into overtime despite the final result.
A Dream win ends the series. A Liberty win forces a Game 4 back in Atlanta. For more on how Atlanta got here, see the recap of Atlanta’s Game 2 overtime win and the latest on Angel Reese’s 2026 season.
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