Dream win 101-98 over Liberty to take 2-0 WNBA semifinal lead

The Atlanta Dream moved within one victory of their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013 after defeating the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime on Wednesday. The win secured a 2-0 lead in the semifinal series for Atlanta, extending their perfect postseason record before a large home crowd.

Naz Hillmon provided the decisive moment with a go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds remaining in the extra period. Angel Reese, the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, finished with 23 points for the Dream, including six of the team's 13 points in overtime. Reese also made two free throws with less than five seconds left after an errant pass by Sabrina Ionescu, helping Atlanta hold off the defending champions. Jordin Canada contributed 23 points and eight assists in the victory.

The Liberty trailed for much of the game but mounted a late comeback in regulation. Breanna Stewart led New York with 35 points, but her final desperation attempt missed as time expired. With the Liberty down 86-80 and under two minutes remaining in regulation, Ionescu hit a deep three-pointer to narrow the deficit to three points. An Atlanta shot-clock violation with 31 seconds left gave New York another chance, and Stewart finished a layup through traffic to make it 86-85 before overtime began.

Atlanta played without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who was ruled out of Game 2 due to a hand injury. Gray, a four-time All-Star, injured her left hand during the first quarter of the team's 92-82 Game 1 win over New York. She briefly returned after visiting the locker room but suffered a second injury while diving for a loose ball and did not re-enter the game. This marked the first game of the season Gray had missed, with Atlanta receiving key scoring contributions from its bench in her absence.

Gray is listed as day-to-day ahead of Game 3. The series shifts to New York on Friday, with the matchup scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.