Dream Claims #4 as Dallas Puts a Bow on Its Turnaround

Atlanta made sure the final night did not complicate anything. Allisha Gray scored 24 points, Naz Hillmon added 16 and the Dream buried New York with a 23-7 second quarter on the way to an 83-65 win that secured the #4 seed and home-court advantage in the opening round. Atlanta forced 18 turnovers while committing only six and swept its two-game closing set in Brooklyn to finish 30-14, matching the franchise-record win total set last season.

The night was not entirely comfortable. Angel Reese left late in the first half after taking an inadvertent elbow from Sabrina Ionescu and did not return, although she later rejoined the Atlanta bench. New York entered without Breanna Stewart because of left knee soreness and then lost Jonquel Jones to a left ankle injury in the third quarter. The eighth-seeded Liberty now heads into a first-round meeting with Minnesota with the health of two frontcourt stars hanging over the rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals.