How the Dream took a 2-0 lead over the Liberty — SkimNews
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- Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead, despite 35 points from Breanna Stewart; Atlanta played without injured starting guard Allisha Gray (left hand).
- Breanna Stewart said officials told the Liberty they had no reset timeout during the final seconds of overtime, when New York actually had one; the crew chief denied any official made that claim and the Liberty have filed an official inquiry with the league.
- Jordin Canada scored or assisted on 45 of the Dream's 101 points, and Atlanta had six players in double figures; New York committed 17 turnovers that the Dream turned into 28 points and shot just 16-of-23 from the free throw line.
- Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 83-81 in San Francisco, with Tiffany Hayes scoring a team-high 21 off the bench; Gabby Williams added 20 and Kayla Thornton 18 to offset a quiet night from Veronica Burton.
- The Valkyries, who joined the WNBA in 2025, are one win from their first WNBA Finals appearance and can sweep the defending champions; the Aces got 43 combined points from A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray but couldn't overcome a 17-point third-quarter deficit.
- WNBA teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series are 19-0 historically, per ESPN, meaning Atlanta and Golden State are both on the brink of advancing.
Why it matters: Both higher seeds now face elimination games on the road Friday, with Atlanta needing just one win in three tries and Golden State one win in two to reach the WNBA Finals. The timeout dispute — already the subject of a league inquiry — could shape officiating protocols for the rest of the postseason, while the two-year-old Valkyries are threatening to upend the defending champions in what would be the most dramatic expansion-season run in league history.
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