The New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream open their WNBA semifinals Sunday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Dream won the last two regular-season matchups 95-84 and 83-65, but the Liberty enter as the first No. 8 seed ever to eliminate a No. 1 seed in WNBA history after sweeping the Minnesota Lynx.
Atlanta is back in the semifinals for the first time since 2018 after sweeping Washington and finished the regular season 30-14 as the East’s top seed. New York, the No. 8 seed at 26-18, upset the top-seeded Lynx. The biggest question entering Game 1: can the Liberty’s superior shooting overcome Atlanta’s elite defense and five-game winning streak, both on the road and with the Dream holding home-court advantage for the series.
New York Liberty vs Atlanta Dream game information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta
- TV: ABC
- Series: Semifinals, Game 1 of a best-of-five
The series then shifts to a Wednesday Game 2 in Atlanta before moving to New York for Game 3 on Friday, with Games 4 and 5 to follow if necessary, according to USA Today.
Can the Liberty solve Atlanta after losing twice to close the season?
Atlanta beat New York 95-84 on Sept. 22 and 83-65 on Sept. 24, with Gray scoring 24 points in the finale, according to the Associated Press. Atlanta won the regular-season series 2-1.
New York has shown it can flip a switch in the playoffs, with Breanna Stewart surging in the sweep of Minnesota. Stewart is averaging 20.6 points over her last 10 games and leads the Liberty at 20.8 points per game for the season, also adding 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Jonquel Jones adds 9.1 rebounds per game and is averaging 14.5 points over the same recent stretch.
How banged up are these two rosters entering the series?
Both teams are already without key frontcourt pieces. Atlanta forward Brionna Jones is out with a left leg injury. New York forward Satou Sabally is out with a concussion. New York guard Elizabeth Balogun is out for reasons unrelated to injury, and Atlanta guard Matilde Villa is out as a coach’s decision.
Angel Reese is projected to start for Atlanta, while Jonquel Jones and Stewart are expected starters for New York.
Which team has the hotter hand right now?
Atlanta is 9-1 over its last 10 games and on a five-game winning streak. The Dream are averaging 92.1 points in those last 10 games and allowing 78.3. The Liberty are 6-4 over their last 10, averaging 86.6 points and allowing 81.4.
Atlanta limits opponents to 46.9% shooting and allows 84.5 points per game. New York is 48.5% from the field but averages 15.0 turnovers per game, compared to Atlanta’s 7.5.
Liberty vs Dream by the numbers
- Points per game: Atlanta 92.5, New York 89.0
- Field goal percentage: Atlanta 42.7%, New York 48.5%
- Three-point percentage: Atlanta 34.0%, New York 40.4%
- Assists per game: Atlanta 19.0, New York 22.0
- Offensive rebounds per game: Atlanta 6.0, New York 8.5
- Defensive rebounds per game: Atlanta 23.0, New York 28.5
- Steals per game: Atlanta 13.0, New York 8.5
- Turnovers per game: Atlanta 7.5, New York 15.0
- Blocks per game: Atlanta 4.5, New York 5.0
Atlanta Dream outlook
Atlanta enters as the No. 1 seed in the East at 30-14 and carries home-court advantage for the entire series. Angel Reese, the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 16.4 points and a league-leading 12.1 rebounds. Allisha Gray leads the team at 19.0 points per game, averaging 18.0 over her last 10 games.
Atlanta’s defense has been the backbone of its playoff run, holding opponents to 46.9% shooting while New York shoots 48.5%. Jordin Canada’s 7.3 assists per game give Atlanta a steady ball-handler to control tempo.
New York Liberty outlook
New York arrives as the No. 8 seed but with 2024 championship pedigree, looking to return to the Finals after a first-round exit last year. Stewart’s 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game lead the offense. Sabrina Ionescu distributes at 4.7 assists per game, while Jonquel Jones grabs 9.1 rebounds.
New York’s 15.0 turnovers per game, double Atlanta’s 7.5, is a critical weakness. Against Atlanta’s defense, which generates 13.0 steals per game, protecting the ball is essential.
Key matchup: Angel Reese against the Liberty frontcourt
Reese’s 12.1 rebounds per game will test New York’s frontcourt, led by Jones’ 9.1 boards and Stewart’s all-around play. New York’s 28.5 defensive rebounds per game edges Atlanta’s 23.0, but the Dream’s 13.0 steals create more transition opportunities.
Whether Stewart and Jones can contain Reese in the paint without fouling will shape Atlanta’s ability to control the interior as it did in both regular-season wins. If New York can limit Atlanta’s second-chance opportunities, its superior shooting gives it a path to win on the road.
Players to watch
Breanna Stewart, Liberty forward
Stewart has been central to New York’s upset of Minnesota, averaging 20.6 points over her last 10 games. Her ability to score and defend Reese will be critical.
Allisha Gray, Dream guard
Gray scored 24 points in Atlanta’s Sept. 24 win over New York and is averaging 18.0 points over her last 10 games.
Angel Reese, Dream forward
The WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year leads the league at 12.1 rebounds per game and gives Atlanta its most important interior presence against a Liberty team built around size up front.
What to watch
New York is chasing a chance to become the first No. 8 seed in WNBA history to reach the Finals after sweeping Minnesota. Atlanta is trying to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013 and avenge a 2024 first-round loss to New York.
Atlanta’s 30 wins this season set a franchise record, and this core is signed through at least 2027. Game 2 follows Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Reporting from The Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and USA Today contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
