Dream, Valkyries take 2-0 WNBA semifinal leads — SkimNews
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- Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime to claim a 2-0 WNBA semifinal lead, getting 45 of their 101 points via Jordin Canada (scoring or assisting) and forcing 17 New York turnovers
- Breanna Stewart scored 35 for the Liberty — 25 in the first half, the second-most in any first half of a WNBA playoff game — but Sabrina Ionescu's late overtime turnover sealed the result after Atlanta forced a jump ball with 11.7 seconds left
- The Dream played without injured starting guard Allisha Gray (day-to-day, left hand) and still got six players in double figures, tying a franchise playoff record, while converting 21 of 23 free throws to New York's 16 of 23
- Golden State Valkyries held off the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 83-81 in San Francisco behind a team-high 21 off the bench from Tiffany Hayes, moving one win from the franchise's first WNBA Finals in just its second season
- A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray combined for 43 points for the Aces, who erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit to take the lead with about 90 seconds left but couldn't finish after failing to deliver the physical edge they had promised
- Both best-of-five series shift to the road teams' floors Friday: the Liberty host the Dream at Barclays Center (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), and the Aces host the Valkyries at Michelob ULTRA Arena (9:30 p.m. ET)
- WNNBA history tilts heavily toward the leaders — the 2-0 advantage has produced a 19-0 series record in best-of-five playoff matchups league-wide
Why it matters: The Valkyries, in just their second season of existence, are one win from the Finals and a chance to eliminate the Aces. The Dream, missing Allisha Gray, are one win from their first Finals since 2013. Both Game 3s are must-wins for New York and Vegas, and WNBA history (19-0 for 2-0 teams in best-of-fives) is squarely against the home teams on Friday.
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