ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream opened the 2026 WNBA Playoffs the way it hoped to: with a second-half defensive takeover. After a sluggish start, Atlanta overpowered the Washington Mystics 92-77 on Sunday at State Farm Arena to grab a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three first-round series.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Washington. A win there would send the Dream to the semifinals and end a long wait for the franchise, which hasn’t advanced past the first round since 2018.
A Rough Start, Then the Turnaround
Atlanta missed nine of its first ten shots and fell behind 14-5 with just over five minutes left in the first quarter. The Dream steadied, hitting six of its next twelve to trim the deficit to 26-21 at the end of one.
Rhyne Howard said the team let Washington get too many easy looks and lacked the aggressiveness it had shown over its previous four games. DeWanna Bonner put the early tension down to nerves, and reminded her teammates to enjoy the game.
Atlanta was still down five at halftime, even with Angel Reese and Allisha Gray a combined 4-of-22 from the field.
The Third Quarter Changes Everything
The Dream closed the regular season as one of the league’s best third-quarter teams, and that carried right into the playoffs. Atlanta opened the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 43-41 lead, then kept pushing. Bonner scored 11 points in the quarter and sparked the charge, giving Atlanta a 56-48 edge.
From there:
- Gray’s layup made it 58-48.
- Reese finished a three-point play to make it 61-48 with 2:29 left in the period. It was her first basket inside the lane.
- Gray added a jumper as the lead reached 13.
Atlanta took a 65-53 lead into the fourth. Washington missed 12 of its 15 shots in the quarter, and the Dream turned six turnovers into 14 points.
Head Coach Karl Smesko praised Bonner’s impact and her energy, saying “She made so many big plays for us.” Bonner was acquired late in the season for her postseason experience, and she passed 1,300 career playoff points in the game.
Closing It Out
Smesko went to a look he rarely used in the regular season to open the fourth, pairing Madina Okot and Reese. It paid off quickly. Okot scored on a layup off a Reese assist, then stole the ball and found Howard for a three, making it 70-53.
Washington tightened up its ball security, which pushed Atlanta into more half-court possessions and stalled the offense. The Mystics cut the lead to 81-74 with 3:26 to play.
Smesko called a timeout and sent out Jordin Canada, Reese, Bonner, Gray and Howard. The group responded:
- Reese extended a possession with an offensive rebound.
- Canada extended it again with a steal.
- Gray converted a three-point play for a 10-point lead with 2:41 left.
- Bonner grabbed a rebound on the next Washington possession, drew a foul, and hit both free throws to make it 86-74.
Box Score Highlights
- Rhyne Howard: 26 points to lead Atlanta
- Allisha Gray: 22 points
- Angel Reese: 13 points, 12 rebounds
- Jordin Canada: 10 points, 11 assists
- DeWanna Bonner: 13 points off the bench, most in the pivotal third quarter
The Dream also forced 16 steals, a franchise single-game playoff record, and converted those into 27 points.
Looking Ahead
Atlanta won’t get comfortable. Smesko said the team likes how it set the tone but knows there is more work to do, and Howard warned that Game 2 will be tougher and that the first-half performance can’t be repeated.
The Dream will look to close out the series Wednesday in Washington and advance to the semifinals.
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