For the first time since 2018, the Atlanta Dream are heading to the semifinals. Angel Reese & Co. locked horns with the No. 5 seed Washington Mystics in the first round of the playoffs, and on Wednesday, they closed out the best-of-three series with a 2-0 sweep, riding a 22-point performance from Allisha Gray in their latest win. With the Dream now waiting to find out who stands between them and a place in the WNBA Finals, Nike wasted no time congratulating the team on a playoff breakthrough that has been seven years in the making.
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“Atlanta Dream. Opponent’s nightmare. @Graytness_15,” the sportswear giant wrote on X.
Even the NBA took the opportunity to congratulate the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream.
“THE DREAM ARE MOVING ON 👏,” they wrote on X.
The Dream team didn’t just get past the Mystics; they controlled the game with their balanced offense and made Washington pay for any mistake they made.
Atlanta had five players finish in double figures, led by Allisha Gray, while Jordin Canada added 19 points in another standout performance. Angel Reese chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds, while Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon also finished with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
The Dream took a 93-75 win in Game 2, completing the sweep after opening the series with a 92-77 victory in Game 1. That gave Atlanta a combined 33-point winning margin across the two games.
But it is worth noting that on Wednesday the Mystics did make things interesting in the second half. Washington repeatedly managed to cut Atlanta’s lead down to single digits, giving itself a chance to make a late push. But after a timeout, every time the Mystics appeared ready to turn the game around, the Dream found another answer. Atlanta kept moving the ball, continued knocking down shots, and eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter.
So, speaking to ESPN after the game, Reese revealed what was said during the timeout when the Mystics were making their push.
“Our memo was manage emotions better and value possessions more, and that’s what we did the entire time. We’ve stayed dialed in all year. Don’t want us to act like we’ve been here before. So, that’s why we’re just so poised. We continue to stay together. I mean, shout out to Washington. They’re a really good team. They’re a really young team, and they’re going to be good for some years now. But I think the team together tonight, and the best team came out on top,” Angel Reese said.
Canada was a major reason Washington couldn’t find a way back. The guard not only scored 19 points but also dished out 11 assists while committing just one turnover. She also knocked down four 3-pointers, making it even harder for the Mystics to focus solely on Atlanta’s other scorers. Even with Howard fouling out of the game, the Dream had enough firepower around her to keep Washington from taking advantage.
On the other hand, for the Mystics, Sonia Citron led the way with 25 points, while Kiki Iriafen added 15 points and 16 rebounds. But Washington’s 19 turnovers proved costly against an Atlanta team that scored 23 points off their mistakes. The Dream, meanwhile, had 8 TOs and the Mystics scored only 8 off them.
Seeing how well the Dream performed in the regular season, how they are playing in the playoffs is hardly surprising. Still, the WNBA was quick to recognize what Atlanta had accomplished, as shortly after the final buzzer, the league took to X to officially announce the Dream’s advancement to the semifinals.
“THE @ATLANTADREAM ARE SEMIFINALS BOUND. The Dream advance after defeating the Mystics 2-0 in the First Round,” the WNBA wrote.
The Dream can finally turn their attention to the next challenge. Angel Reese and Co. will now face the New York Liberty in the semifinals, with Game 1 set for Sunday. And after a dominant two-game sweep to open their playoff run, the Dream will look to carry that momentum into the next round.