In the first round of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs, the No. 4 Atlanta Dream face off against the No. 5 Washington Mystics in a series that will kick off in Atlanta.
Series Schedule:
- Game One: State Farm Arena – Sunday, Sep. 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
- Game Two: CareFirst Arena – Wednesday, Sep. 30 at 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game Three (if necessary): State Farm Arena – Friday, Oct. 2 at TBD
Series-Defining Matchups
It is without a doubt the Dream and Mystics are coming into this series with one of the best matchups in the post. Between Atlanta’s Angel Reese and Washington’s Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, we’re in for a treat between some of the league’s best rebounders and scorers in the paint. In fact, in the 2026 regular season, Reese—while leading the league in rebounds per game—was one of two players to average a double-double with 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds. In third for rebounds per game, Iriafen also made her presence known averaging 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per outing. Just behind Iriafen, Austin was also among the top five in rebounds per game with 9.5 rebounds of her own, accompanied by a dominant 17.0 points per game season, where she helped lead the Mystics to their first playoff appearance since 2023.
While this battle in the post will certainly draw attention to this series, the matchups in the backcourt are just as intriguing. From Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard to Washington’s Sonia Citron, this series is stacked with elite talent on all levels. Leading the Dream in scoring during the regular season, Gray has had one of the best seasons of her career. Also continuing her consistent success, Howard has also found her rhythm as the two lead guards for Atlanta have done wonders for the team down the stretch. With Gray averaging 19.0 points and Howard averaging 17.7 points this season, this dynamic guard combo filled with elite three-point shooting and rim-attacking ability will be hard to stop. However, aside from their dominance in the post, if there’s one player from Washington to give Atlanta trouble, it’s Citron. Alongside being one of their greatest facilitators, when Citron finds her scoring groove, she’s unstoppable. Citron’s agility and shiftiness with and without the ball will truly be a sight to watch as she will certainly shake up this matchup.
Potential Game Changers
As the stars for both teams receive the most attention from the opposing team while trying to stop one another, the players surrounding them could easily determine the outcome of this series. For Atlanta, such players would include Jordin Canada and DeWanna Bonner. With Brionna Jones ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season, there will be more pressure on Bonner to not only produce in the post, but also lead the bench with poise and determination to disrupt. Bonner’s ability to contribute offensively will also be important because even as she averaged 8.6 points per game in the regular season, her length was crucial to the Dream’s floor spacing.
Similarly, Canada will also need to step into larger roles and create for herself if Reese, Gray, or Howard struggle. As the true point guard and facilitator for Atlanta averaging 7.3 assists per game, Canada will be a crucial factor in the Dream’s pace and tempo as they adapt to the Mystics’ defensive pressure. If Canada can get hot and space the floor in a similar way to Bonner, it will completely change the trajectory of the series and Atlanta could easily be a threat from every spot on the court. This not only offers the Dream consistency on offense, but also another weapon to turn to in crunch time.
Like the Dream, the Mystics are also in a spot where their point guard could completely change the game. In her first WNBA season after rehabbing from a torn ACL, Georgia Amoore has slowly adapted and grown into Washington’s system of play. Although she has had her share of struggles throughout the season, it is evident that she has made significant progress in adjusting to the pace and physicality that the WNBA offers. Amoore’s greatest display of growth was early this season when the Mystics faced off against the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 27. In this contest, Amoore caught fire and shot 6-of-11 from three, leading Washington in scoring with 25 points and ultimately securing the victory. Should Amoore find such success from behind the arc or even her elite passing ability, she could easily give the Mystics the boost in the backcourt that they desperately need alongside Citron.
Matchup Outlook and Predictions
Although the Dream are the higher seed in this series, during the 2026 regular season, the Mystics won two of the three games in the season series. However, the one victory that Atlanta took over Washington was exceedingly more decisive. On June 6, the Dream took a commanding 109-77 win on the road led by a masterclass 18-point, 17-rebound double-double from Reese accompanied by a complete team effort. Although Washington’s Iriafen and Citron were able to produce well and at their usual level, both Amoore and Austin struggled and it was clear in the box score. It is an absolute must for everyone to contribute by any means for the Mystics to hold up against the Dream.
With both teams entering the playoffs having already experienced wins against one another, there is no shortage of familiarity heading into this first round matchup. Atlanta will have homecourt advantage to open the series, while Washington will look to build off its 2-1 regular season edge. If the regular season meetings are any indication, this series could come down to which team can put together a complete performance when the stakes are highest.
With the Dream holding homecourt advantage and having already shown just how dominant they can be against the Mystics, expect Atlanta to come into this series with plenty of confidence. However, Washington’s 2-1 regular season advantage makes it difficult to overlook the Mystics, especially with how much talent they have throughout their lineup. Ultimately, expect this to be a competitive series, but Atlanta’s depth, rebounding, and ability to score from multiple areas of the floor will give the Dream the edge. We’re picking Atlanta to advance to the semifinals, but Washington could easily compete and push this series to three games.