101-98 in Overtime Puts the Dream One Win From the WNBA Finals

Photo: WNBA.com. Official Angel Reese headshot, Atlanta Dream.

The Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime Wednesday night at State Farm Arena and took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA semifinals.

Angel Reese scored 23 points, six of them in overtime, and her two free throws with 4.3 seconds left closed it, so Atlanta needs one more win for the Finals with Game 3 set for Friday at Barclays Center, per the ESPN box score.

Breanna Stewart finished with 35 points and 11 rebounds in 43 minutes and still lost. She had 25 by halftime on 8-of-9 shooting. After the break she went 3-of-12, and all three makes were layups. Her six turnaround and pull-up jumpers from 10 to 17 feet all missed, per ESPN's play-by-play, and so did both of her threes. Five of those jumpers came in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The bigger gap was shot volume. New York shot 55 percent (35-of-64). Atlanta shot 40 percent (34-of-84) and took 20 more shots. The Liberty turned it over 17 times to Atlanta's nine, and the Dream scored 28 points off those turnovers to New York's 10. Atlanta also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to New York's five, Reese had five of them, and the Dream went 21-of-23 at the line to the Liberty's 16-of-23, or 70 percent. In Game 1, Atlanta scored 32 points off 21 New York turnovers.

Regulation ended 88-88. Reese made two free throws with 14.5 seconds left to put Atlanta up three, and Marine Fauthoux answered with a 24-foot three off a Stewart pass with 10.3 left. Fauthoux scored 20 off the bench on 8-of-10 with four threes, and Jonquel Jones added 21 on 8-of-11.

Overtime swung on two late possessions. Jones hit a three with 2:01 left for a 96-93 Liberty lead. Jordin Canada scored inside to cut it to one. Then DeWanna Bonner stole a Fauthoux pass, and Reese finished a Naz Hillmon feed for a 97-96 lead with 44.3 left. Stewart scored on a layup at the other end, and Hillmon answered on a Rhyne Howard assist with 20.8 left to make it 99-98. New York kept the ball after a jump ball, and Sabrina Ionescu threw it out of bounds with 6.5 seconds left. Reese's free throws came off the foul that followed, and Stewart's last shot missed.

Atlanta did it without Allisha Gray for a second straight game. ESPN reported Monday that she was ruled out with a finger injury, and Bonner started in her place, per Yahoo Sports. Bonner shot 2-of-11 for 10 points, and her steal in overtime set up Atlanta's lead. Howard and Hillmon each played 44 minutes. Howard went 5-of-20 for 18 points, made all six of her free throws, and had the assist on the winning basket. Canada scored 23 with eight assists, and Isobel Borlase hit three threes off the bench.

Game 3 is Friday in Brooklyn. Atlanta has won both games on extra possessions, and New York shot better in this one and still lost.

Sources

• ESPN box score: Liberty at Dream, Game 2. Oct 7, 2026. Final 101-98 OT; quarters ATL 26-30-19-13-13, NY 26-28-20-14-10; FG NY 35-64, ATL 34-84; 3PT 12-25 and 12-30; FT NY 16-23, ATL 21-23; turnovers NY 16 (+1 team), ATL 7 (+2 team); points off turnovers ATL 28, NY 10; offensive rebounds ATL 11, NY 5; player lines; ATL leads series 2-0.
• ESPN play-by-play: Liberty at Dream, Game 2. Oct 7, 2026. Stewart 8-of-9 and 25 points in the first half, 3-of-12 after; Fauthoux tying three at 10.3; overtime sequence; Ionescu turnover at 6.5; Reese free throws at 4.3.
• ESPN: Dream rule out top scorer Allisha Gray (finger) for Game 2. Oct 6, 2026.
• Yahoo Sports live coverage: Liberty-Dream Game 2. Oct 7, 2026. Bonner started in place of Gray; series shifts to New York Friday.
• ESPN game page: Game 3 at Barclays Center. Oct 9, 2026.
• The Dyme: Dream Beat Liberty 92-82 in Game 1 as Canada Scores 25. Oct 4, 2026. Game 1, 32 points off 21 New York turnovers.
• Photo: WNBA.com. Official Angel Reese headshot, Atlanta Dream.