Fans heaved a sigh of relief as the Atlanta Dream ended their first-round jinx from the last three seasons to advance to the semifinals, eliminating the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. The Dream took Game 2 quite easily, winning 93-75, and Angel Reese and Co. appeared to be in jubilant spirits as the final whistle blew. However, their celebratory gestures were cut short by their teammate, in what has become a talking point among fans after the game.
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As the game ended, cameras caught Angel Reese and Allisha Gray making the goodbye sign to the crowd, waving both their hands, per a clip shared by espnW. However, showing the poise that is naturally expected from a veteran like her, DeWanna Bonner quickly lowered her hands when she caught Reese and Co. in the act. The gesture quickly started doing the rounds on social media, as fans shared their immediate reactions.
“That was def a mom moment 😂 lol they’re precious,” said one fan online.
“DB’s daycare lol I love them lol ❤️,” another fan added.
Bonner’s actions showed maturity. Over her long career in the WNBA, she has seen it all. From winning championships to facing setbacks on and off the court, Bonner perhaps realizes the importance of maintaining composure, even when you are winning.
“DB did the right thing. In the words of the late, great Kobe Bryant The job’s not done,” one fan said.
Indeed, the job is far from done for Reese and Co. Reese herself is playing in her first postseason, and the Dream have made the playoffs for the first time since 2018. So they will do well to heed Kobe’s advice, and maybe even lock in that Mamba mentality.
Auntie said it’s the first round. Relax 😂,” one fan said.
“Yea cuz Stewie don’t play that, so get ready 😂,” another fan said.
The fan may have a point, though. This is no time to get complacent if you are the Atlanta Dream. Atlanta faces a tough test in the semifinals, in the form of the New York Liberty. Liberty have already caused the biggest upset in WNBA history by becoming the first side to eliminate the first seed as the eighth seed.
New York was able to stifle a Minnesota offense, which was consistently in the top three when it came to offensive rating during the regular season. And Breanna Stewart led the offense and made light work of the Lynx defense, which had lost a former DPOY in Napheesa Collier in the ranks.
So the series against the Liberty will be a whole lot different from their clean sweep against the Mystics, and the Dream will do well not to underestimate their opponents, as the Lynx did.
“Need that OG,” another fan said. Sometimes, you do need that authoritative figure on the team to guide you through it and keep everyone in check.
“They do realize they beat a bunch of rookies and the youngest team in the W?,” one fan said.
Indeed, take nothing away from this overachieving Mystics side. Nobody even expected them to make the playoffs this year, yet they did. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen did everything on their part to keep the series alive, but it was not enough. Iriafen became the first player in Mystics’ history to record a first-half double-double in a playoff game.
The Dream held on to win the game. Allisha Gray led the charge with 22 points, while Jordin Canada delivered when it mattered most, pouring in 13 of her 19 points in the final quarter. Canada also added 11 assists and seven rebounds to her name, and Rhyne Howard scored 15 points but ended up fouling out of the game with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter. Angel Reese contributed 15 points in the win.
The Atlanta Dream will play the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the semifinals on Sunday.