Angel Reese scored a team-high 22 points as the Atlanta Dream completed a three-game sweep of the New York Liberty with an 85-83 victory in Brooklyn on Friday, sending Atlanta to the WNBA finals for the first time since 2013.
Reese scored 18 points before halftime and added two three-pointers as the Dream eliminated the 2024 champions on their home floor. The win came without injured leading scorer Allisha Gray, which increased the pressure on Atlanta’s already depleted rotation.
After the game, Reese said she had envisioned this run when she arrived in Atlanta in an offseason trade. She also pointed to the work the team has done to reshape her offense under coach Karl Smesko, saying the changes did not feel natural at first but began to pay off as the season progressed.
Atlanta will face the Golden State Valkyries in the best-of-seven finals beginning on 17 October. For Reese, the berth caps a season in which she said she had gone from watching the championship series from home to helping carry a contender to the league’s biggest stage.
