Atlanta survives New York’s final opportunity
Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21 as the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 85–83 to complete a 3–0 WNBA semifinal sweep. The game was played in New York on October 9 and concluded on October 10 in the Philippines.
Atlanta reached the Finals for the first time since 2013 despite again missing Allisha Gray, who had injured a finger in Game 1. Reese also finished with nine rebounds and three assists.
The Dream led by two with 17.7 seconds remaining when a turnover gave New York another possession. Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup, and DeWanna Bonner converted two free throws with 6.2 seconds left.
Stewart and Jonquel Jones each scored 26 for the Liberty. Atlanta’s ability to withstand their scoring ended the series without a fourth game and kept the Dream unbeaten in the postseason.
The victory secured a place in the championship series against Golden State, which separately completed its sweep of Las Vegas. Both franchises entered that matchup seeking a first WNBA title.