Atlanta is one win away from the WNBA Finals after a dramatic 101-98 overtime victory over New York.
The Atlanta Dream are now just one victory away from the WNBA Finals.
Atlanta defeated the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Dream got 23 points apiece from Angel Reese and Jordin Canada, while Rhyne Howard added 18 points. Naz Hillmon finished with 12, Izzy Borlase scored 11 and DeWanna Bonner added 10.
More importantly, Atlanta found a way to win despite leading scorer Allisha Gray being unavailable because of injury.
A Game That Wouldn’t Stay Atlanta’s
The Dream appeared to have control late in regulation, leading 86-80 with less than two minutes remaining.
New York, however, refused to go away.
Breanna Stewart, who finished with 35 points and 11 rebounds, drove past Reese for a layup with 26 seconds remaining to cut Atlanta’s lead to one. Reese answered by making two free throws, putting the Dream ahead 88-85 with 14.5 seconds left.
The Liberty responded immediately.
Marine Fauthoux came off a screen and knocked down a three-pointer with 10.3 seconds remaining, tying the game at 88.
Atlanta had one final opportunity in regulation. Howard drove into the lane and got a running jumper to roll around the rim before falling out, sending the game to overtime.
Hillmon Delivers When It Mattered
New York actually took control early in overtime.
Jonquel Jones hit a three-pointer with 2:01 remaining to give the Liberty a 96-93 advantage. It was New York’s first lead since the second quarter.
The Dream answered.
Canada and Reese helped Atlanta regain the lead before Stewart scored again to put New York ahead 98-97 with 33 seconds remaining.
That’s when Hillmon made one of the biggest plays of the night.
Atlanta ran a play with Howard at the top of the arc. Howard found Hillmon cutting behind the New York defense, and Hillmon finished the layup with 20.8 seconds remaining to put the Dream back in front, 99-98.
The Dream’s defense then came through.
Atlanta forced Sabrina Ionescu into a difficult cross-court pass that sailed out of bounds with 6.5 seconds left.
Reese was fouled and calmly knocked down both free throws, extending Atlanta’s lead to 101-98.
Stewart’s final attempt missed, and the Dream finally had their victory.
Reese and Canada Lead the Way
Reese and Canada each scored 23 points, but Atlanta’s victory was much more than a two-player effort.
All five Dream starters had reached double figures during the game, and Atlanta received important contributions from its bench as well.
Hillmon’s late basket was particularly significant. Head coach Karl Smesko praised her work throughout the game, pointing to her defense, effort and ability to create extra possessions.
For Reese, the biggest takeaway was the team’s ability to stay together through a difficult game.
“We stayed together and played together, and that’s how we won it.”
That mentality could be critical as Atlanta heads into New York with an opportunity to close out the series.
One Win From the Finals
Atlanta now leads the series 2-0 and will have its first opportunity to eliminate New York on Friday night at Barclays Center.
A third straight victory would send the Dream to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013.
The Liberty, meanwhile, face a difficult situation. No team in WNBA history has overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series.
But Atlanta isn’t treating the series as finished.
New York has already shown it can make runs, and Wednesday’s game demonstrated how quickly momentum can change.
For the Dream, the formula now is simple: one more win.
Game 3 is Friday in New York.
Atlanta Dream 101, New York Liberty 98 (OT)
Series: Atlanta leads 2-0
Next: Game 3 — Friday in New York
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