Dream Sweep Liberty, Clinch WNBA Finals Berth — SkimNews
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- Atlanta Dream swept the New York Liberty 85-83 to clinch the first spot in the WNBA Finals — Atlanta's first Finals appearance since 2013, and the franchise has never won a championship.
- Angel Reese scored a team-high 22 points, including 10 in the first quarter, and will play in her first WNBA Finals on the league's biggest stage.
- Jordin Canada fueled the comeback with 19 points and 11 assists, her fourth career points-assists playoff double-double, sealing the win with a driving layup with 1:15 left that put Atlanta up four.
- Jonquel Jones carried the Liberty with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Breanna Stewart tried to keep New York alive, but miscues doomed the Liberty — their first playoff sweep since 2012.
- The Dream's sweep was accomplished despite just 11 minutes from top scorer Allisha Gray, who could return in the Finals; Atlanta has won 10 straight games since the FIBA break.
- The No. 2 Golden State Valkyries face defending champion No. 3 Las Vegas Aces (9:30 p.m. ET) in the other semifinal — Las Vegas went 3-0 against Golden State in the regular season but lost both road meetings in San Francisco.
Why it matters: Atlanta rides a 10-game winning streak into the Finals with star talent peaking at the right moment, but the Dream have never won a title and lost top scorer Allisha Gray to a minutes-limited role — making the Finals matchup uncertain heading into the other semifinal between the defending champion Aces and the expansion Valkyries.
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