Angel Reese’s first playoff run keeps getting better.
The Atlanta Dream swept the Washington Mystics 2-0 in the first round, winning Game 1 92-77 at home and closing out the series 93-75, to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018. Now Reese and the No. 4 seed Dream will host the No. 8 seed New York Liberty in a best-of-five semifinal series starting Sunday, October 4.
It is the latest milestone in a season that has rewritten Reese’s story. The third-year forward earned her first career playoff win in Game 1 with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double, and on the same day she was named the 2026 AP Defensive Player of the Year in a landslide, receiving 46 of 74 votes. She led the league in rebounding for the third straight season and finished third in steals.
A Cinderella Across the Court
Standing in Atlanta’s way is the most dangerous No. 8 seed in WNBA history. The Liberty just made history of their own, sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 2-0 — 91-75 in Game 1 and 87-71 at Barclays Center in Game 2 — to become the first eight seed to knock off a one seed in the opening round.
That sets up a fascinating semifinal. Atlanta has the higher seed and home-court advantage in Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5. New York has all the momentum and nothing to lose after toppling the league’s best regular-season team.
For Reese, the matchup is a proving ground. Her rebounding and defense carried the Dream past Washington, and the Liberty’s frontcourt will test both. If Atlanta’s star forward can control the glass the way she did all season, the Dream will be favored to keep their Cinderella-crushing run going.
The Stakes
The semifinals are best-of-five in a 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5. The winner advances to the WNBA Finals, a best-of-seven series opening October 17, for a shot at the championship.
Reese arrived in Atlanta this season with something to prove after two playoff-less years in Chicago. Eight days into October, she is a Defensive Player of the Year with a semifinal date. The Dream have not been this deep in the playoffs in eight years — and their best player is just getting started.