Atlanta Dream Sweep Washington Mystics 93-75, Reach WNBA Semifinals for First Time Since 2018

The Atlanta Dream finished off the Washington Mystics in two games Wednesday night, winning 93-75 at CareFirst Arena to sweep their best-of-three first-round series and advance to the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2018, according to the Associated Press.

Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 22 points, four steals and three assists. Jordin Canada put up 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, with 13 of those points coming in the fourth quarter alone, according to USA Today. Canada drained back-to-back 3-pointers during a decisive stretch late in the game that pushed Atlanta's lead to 89-70 with under three minutes left.

Rhyne Howard finished with 15 points before fouling out with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, battling foul trouble most of the night. Angel Reese added 15 points and seven rebounds despite picking up a technical foul, her first of these playoffs, according to USA Today. Naz Hillmon chipped in 10 points off the bench.

The game was sloppy and physical. Officials called 53 combined personal fouls, with 14 players across both teams picking up at least three, according to The Guardian. Howard fouled out, and six other players finished with four fouls apiece. Despite the whistle-heavy night, Atlanta shot 20 of 22 from the free-throw line and hit 13 of 32 three-point attempts, a 40.6% clip.

Washington's downfall was turnovers. The Mystics committed 19 giveaways for the game, including 11 in the first half, and Atlanta converted those mistakes into 23 points, according to the Associated Press. Washington actually outrebounded Atlanta 42-27, but the margin proved meaningless once the Dream started feasting off live-ball turnovers.

Sonia Citron led all scorers with 25 points for the Mystics, who were making their first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship. Kiki Iriafen posted a 15-point, 16-rebound double-double and became the first player in franchise history to record a first-half double-double in a playoff game, per the Associated Press.

Washington twice cut into Atlanta's lead with runs, pulling within three points at one stretch of the fourth quarter after a 14-2 run. But the Dream answered immediately both times. A 13-0 Atlanta run, capped by another Canada three, restored a double-digit cushion at 78-62 and effectively closed the door, according to The Guardian's play-by-play account.

Atlanta had been bounced in the first round in each of the previous three seasons. Canada said after the game the difference this year was discipline in the final minutes. "I think last year, we would get big leads and then we would lose them," Canada said, according to USA Today. "This season, we really put an emphasis on making sure we're doing the things that we need to do to close out games."

Dream head coach Karl Smesko, in comments distributed by the team's own news release carried by OurSports Central, said simply: "All we cared about was winning and advancing, and everyone did their part." Gray credited Canada specifically, calling her "our engine" after the win.

For Washington, a young roster exits with a winning note despite the sweep. Iriafen said the group refused to let outside noise affect their season. "We think we can beat anyone, regardless of what the stats say, regardless of what media says," she said, according to USA Today, adding the team kept everything internal through a season that ended earlier than hoped.

Atlanta now turns to the New York Liberty, the No. 8 seed that made WNBA history by sweeping the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the opening round, becoming the first eighth seed to eliminate a top seed in the league's 30-year history, according to multiple outlets including Fox News and the Associated Press.

The best-of-five semifinal series opens Sunday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, with the Dream hosting Games 1, 2 and 5 if necessary. It marks Atlanta's first series win since 2016 and first semifinal berth since 2018, a 10-year gap the franchise is trying to end with a run toward its first WNBA championship. The Dream have won three Eastern Conference titles between 2010 and 2013 but have never captured the league crown.

The matchup pits Atlanta's regular-season conference-best record against a Liberty team that just proved seeding means little once the games start. How Atlanta's interior defense, which struggled on the boards against Washington, holds up against a hot New York squad will be the first thing to watch when the series tips off Sunday.