Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream punched their ticket to the semifinals on Wednesday night, absolutely shutting down the Washington Mystics with a dominant 93-75 victory. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. The Dream never trailed at any point during the entire contest, showing the league they’re not messing around.
Atlanta’s Lead Was Never in Doubt
From the jump, Atlanta was in control. They opened the first quarter with a 17-8 lead, then maintained a 24-17 edge as the period wrapped. The Dream kept the pedal down, pushing their lead to double digits early in the second quarter and holding a 41-28 advantage with just over a minute left before halftime. The Mystics tried to make it interesting, closing the half on a 7-0 run to stay within striking distance.
Washington did manage to chip away a bit more, getting within six points with under seven minutes left in the third. But Atlanta responded like champions, hitting them with a 15-6 run of their own to regain some serious breathing room. By the end of three quarters, the Dream were still comfortably ahead, 65-58. The fourth quarter was just a formality. Atlanta pulled away for good, outscoring Washington a hefty 28-17 in the final ten minutes to cruise straight to the win.
Efficiency and Shutdown Defense Sealed the Deal
The Dream’s offense was clinical, dishing out 23 assists as a team while only turning the ball over eight times. Talk about ball movement! But it wasn’t just offense; their defense was suffocating. They picked up 10 steals and threw in four blocks, making life absolutely miserable for the Mystics.
Individually, Angel Reese was everywhere, putting up a solid 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a crucial playoff game. The scoring leader for Atlanta, though, was Allisha Gray, who dropped a team-high 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting. When your key players show up like that, you know you’re headed in the right direction.
So, what’s next for the Dream? They’re officially set to face the New York Liberty in the semifinals. That series is gonna be an absolute battle, no doubt about it. And don’t forget, over in the other bracket, the Dallas Wings are fighting to avoid elimination against the Golden State Valkyries. Wednesday night was just another reminder: the WNBA playoffs are heating up, and we’re in for some serious basketball.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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