The Atlanta Dream clinched the first spot in the 2026 WNBA Finals with an 85-83 sweep of the New York Liberty on Friday. Atlanta rallied from a 71-66 deficit entering the fourth quarter, fueled by Jordin Canada's 19 points and 11 assists — her fourth career playoff points-assists double-double — and Angel Reese's team-high 22 points, including 10 in the opening quarter. Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but New York went cold down the stretch and was swept in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The Dream enter the Finals on a 10-game winning streak dating to the FIBA break, despite only 11 minutes from leading scorer Allisha Gray. It marks Atlanta's first Finals appearance since 2013; the franchise has never won a title.
Meanwhile, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces host the No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries at Michelob Ultra Arena (9:30 p.m. ET). Las Vegas went 3-0 against Golden State in the regular season but lost both games in San Francisco this series. ESPN's Michael Voepel, Alexa Philippou, Kendra Andrews and Kareem Copeland are covering live.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing