Two teams that had different paths to the semifinals while also sharing some similar patterns during the regular season now have the opportunity to secure a spot in the WNBA Finals. The No. 4 Atlanta Dream and the No. 8 New York Liberty will face off after both teams swept their opponents in the first round.
In the opening round, the Dream dominated the Washington Mystics, winning both games by at least 15 points to complete the sweep. Alongside this sweep, the Liberty made WNBA history by becoming the first eighth seed to sweep the No. 1 seed in the Minnesota Lynx. Both teams enter this series with great momentum, but only one will prevail.
Atlanta entered the playoffs after a 30-14 regular season, whereas New York finished the regular season 26-18. During the 2026 regular season, these two teams met three times, with Atlanta winning two of the three. Although New York took a 14-point victory in the first regular season matchup, Atlanta won the final two matchups. In fact, those victories by the Dream were also the final two games of the season for both Atlanta and New York, adding another layer to the competition.
Series Schedule:
Game One: State Farm Arena – Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game Two: State Farm Arena – Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game Three: Barclays Center – Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Game Four (if necessary): Barclays Center – Sunday, Oct. 11 at TBD
Game Five (if necessary): State Farm Arena– Wednesday, Oct. 14 at TBD
Series-Defining Matchups
Like what we saw in the first round from both Atlanta vs. Washington and New York vs. Minnesota, this semifinals series will be another battle in the paint. The lead forward for the Dream since the absence of Brionna Jones due to injury has been Angel Reese, who will look to continue her historic season and lead Atlanta to the WNBA Finals. Maintaining consistency from the transition from the regular season to the playoffs, Reese has averaged 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the postseason thus far. Reese’s consistency not only in the postseason but ultimately in the regular season is what earned her the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. In a historic season for Reese, she averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game during the regular season. Not only that, but Reese also broke several rebounding records — including the WNBA single-season rebounds record where she totalled 521 rebounds. In this series, it’s likely we don’t just see Reese’s personal success, but also the value she brings to the Dream.
From New York, there are two players that will challenge Reese the most: Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. A three-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA MVP, Stewart brings both veteran playoff experience and versatility to the Liberty’s frontcourt. In the 2026 regular season, Stewart was under the radar for many despite averaging 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. However, when the time came for her takeover, Stewart outplayed everyone when it mattered most while the Liberty swept the Lynx. Her most recent display of such dominance came in Game 1 of the first round where Stewart put up 34 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks to ignite what ended up being a New York sweep.
Alongside Stewart, Jones will also challenge Atlanta’s Reese with a tough matchup in the paint. Just as important of a piece in the Liberty’s success this season, Jones averaged 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. It was through such consistency that Jones stepped up and led the Liberty alongside Stewart, especially in the playoffs. With the Dream’s ability to dominate rebounding through Reese and New York’s ability to score both inside and from beyond the arc through Stewart and Jones, the battle between these three frontcourt players could have a major impact on the series.
While the frontcourt matchups found in this series draws so much attention, the battle in the backcourt is just as important. In fact, there are three guards across both teams that will make interesting matchups. New York’s Sabrina Ionescu will be up against Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, with all three guards capable of creating their own shots while making plays for their teammates. In a regular season full of ups and downs, Ionescu finished with 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game despite experiencing lower shooting splits than in years past. However, toward the end of the regular season and so far in the postseason, Ionescu has seemingly been playing back to the ability we all know she’s capable of. Meanwhile, Gray led the Dream in scoring this season with 19.0 points, followed by 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game from Howard. With Ionescu’s playmaking, Gray’s efficient scoring and leadership, and Howard’s two-way impact, this three-guard battle could be one of the most entertaining matchups of the series.
Potential Game Changers
Just as we saw in the first round, Atlanta’s Jordin Canada can easily be the biggest game changer for the Dream in its attempt to advance. In both Game 1 and Game 2 of the first round, Canada recorded at least 10 assists, playing a huge role in Atlanta’s ball movement as well as getting her teammates gouging offensively. In fact, Canada is the only player in this postseason with over 20 assists with less than five turnovers. If Canada can keep up this efficiency within her playmaking ability, there’s no limit to how far the Dream can make it.
For the Liberty, Leonie Fiebich is also one who can easily change the game. Alongside Ionescu, Fiebich allows another avenue of three-point scoring for New York. Despite experiencing an extended absence due to injury, Fiebich averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and a remarkable 41.2 percent from three. Considering that much of Atlanta’s focus will likely be on Stewart, Jones, and Ionescu, Fiebich has the potential to capitalize on open looks and give New York another reliable scoring option.
Matchup Outlook and Predictions
The Dream enter this series with home-court advantage once again, but from the way the Liberty dominated in Game 1 of the first round in Minnesota, there’s no telling how this series could go simply based on location. Atlanta has the depth and balance between the frontcourt and backcourt to give New York trouble, but one can never truly bet against Stewart and the Liberty, especially in the postseason.
Atlanta enters this series knowing it has already found a formula for success against New York, winning the final two meetings of the regular season. While the Liberty will certainly make adjustments, those two victories could give Atlanta an extra level of confidence heading into Game 1. With the Liberty coming off a historic upset sweep and the Dream coming off two wins against New York to close the regular season and, most recently, a sweep against the Mystics, this semifinal matchup has plenty of momentum on both sides.
Ultimately, with the way in which Stewart and the Liberty have been playing so far in the playoffs, it’s hard to bet against them. Because of this, we expect New York to come out on top, but certainly not without a fight from Atlanta as this series could go to four or five games.