Angel Reese scored a team-high 22 points as the Atlanta Dream reached the WNBA Finals for the first time in 13 years Friday night, capping a three-game sweep of the New York Liberty with a tense 85-83 victory in Brooklyn.
Rhyne Howard added 21 points and Jordin Canada finished with 19 points and 11 assists as Atlanta survived a second-half fightback from New York to close out the best-of-five semifinal. The Dream reached the championship series for the fourth time in its 19-year history and will be aiming for their first title.
They will face the Golden State Valkyries, who completed their own sweep of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces later Friday to reach the finals in just their second season as an expansion franchise.
“When I came to Atlanta, I knew what I was going to get,” Reese, 24, said of his offseason trade to the Chicago Sky. “This team has given me so much. We’ve invested in each other. This is my moment. I’m supposed to be here and I’m so grateful.”
Atlanta finished as 2024 champions despite the absence of Allisha Gray, their second-leading scorer behind Howard, who missed her second straight game with a left hand injury. Timeless DeWanna Bonner, who turned 39 seven weeks ago, had 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Australian reserve Isobel Borlase added 10 points on five of six from the floor.
The Dream got off to a strong start, connecting on five of their eight three-point attempts in the opening period. Howard scored 11 points and Reese added 10, including a pair of threes, as Atlanta took a 25-18 lead. Reese had 18 points at halftime, helping the visitors take a 44-39 advantage into the locker room.
Tempers flared during a physical second quarter, with officials having to separate opposing players twice. Reese exchanged pleasantries with Sabrina Ionescu after the Liberty point guard was whistled for an offensive foul while setting a screen on Borlase, who had scored on consecutive possessions. Tensions escalated a few minutes later when Jonquel Jones rejected a Reese shot, sparking a heated chest-to-chest confrontation that ended with technical fouls from both players.
The Liberty, leading the elimination before a sellout crowd of 17,991 at the Barclays Center almost entirely in its corner, fought back after intermission. Breanna Stewart scored 10 points in the third quarter and Jones added nine as the Liberty went on a 17-4 run in 3 minutes, 42 seconds, turning a 12-point deficit into a one-point lead.
But the short-handed Dream showed his defensive steel when it mattered most, limiting New York to just 15 points in the final quarter. The Liberty missed 10 of 15 shots in the final 10 minutes, including six of seven from beyond the arc, as Atlanta outscored the hosts 19-15 to secure their spot in the final in front of a cheering Brooklyn crowd that included Olivia Rodrigo, Meek Mill and Ethan Hawke.
“You see Atlanta, they really work together,” Stewart said. “Defense wins championships. It’s true.”
after newsletter promotion
Stewart and Jones finished with 26 points each for New York, with Jones adding 14 rebounds and three blocks. Ionescu scored 12 but struggled from the field, connecting on four of 12 attempts. The Liberty’s season ended with a sixth straight loss to Atlanta dating back to the regular season.
“It’s really hard to win,” Stewart said. “Because we did it, we went twice at first, it was almost like, ‘Oh, this is going to be an every year thing.’ Like, this shit ain’t easy.
“When you get there and when you win, you can’t take it for granted, because you don’t know if you’ll be able to come back.”
The result completes a remarkable run for Karl Smesko’s Dream, who took a commanding lead with a 101-98 overtime victory on Wednesday. Atlanta now has four wins in its first WNBA championship, after losing each of its three previous Finals appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
The best-of-seven WNBA final against Golden State opens Oct. 17 in San Francisco, with both teams seeking their first championship.
“The work is not done,” Reese said. “We are really happy with the current situation. We are not satisfied.”
Gn sports
