The Atlanta Dream beat the Washington Mystics 83-75 on Wednesday night, Sept. 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C., advancing to the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2018. Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 22 points. The Dream entered the playoffs with the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record.
Players Decide the Series
Jordin Canada hit 3-pointers on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, then made a free-throw-line jumper on Atlanta’s next trip. Rhyne Howard, the top pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, scored 15 points before fouling out with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Angel Reese added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Washington committed 11 first-half turnovers. The Mystics then made a 14-2 run starting in the third quarter, closing within 65-62, before Atlanta answered with 13 straight points, capped by Canada’s 3-pointer. The account also reports Atlanta ahead 89-70 with just under three minutes left and later gives a 78-62 score during the same sequence; those in-game figures don't reconcile with the stated final score of 83-75.
The Dream avoided a first-round playoff exit for the first time in four years, according to the account. Atlanta last reached the semifinals in 2018, eight years before this season. The team won conference titles three times from 2010-13, but it has never won a WNBA championship.
The Mystics were making their first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship. Seven years have elapsed since that title, according to the supplied date calculation. Washington’s return to the playoffs ended with a first-round loss to Atlanta.
The Road to the Finals
Atlanta was scheduled to host Game 1 of the semifinals against New York on Sunday. The Liberty reached the semifinals after sweeping Minnesota, becoming the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in league history. The Minnesota Lynx were the field’s top seed, while New York entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart were seeking to return to the best-of-seven finals after winning the 2024 title. Two years have elapsed since that championship. A’ja Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces were the defending champions.
The WNBA Finals were scheduled to begin Oct. 17 on NBC, Peacock and USA. The October sports guide said MLB and WNBA champions would be decided during the month, while the NFL would play games overseas in London and Paris. The Dallas Wings hosted the Golden State Valkyries in Wednesday’s other first-round series matchup.
The supplied account records players’ points, rebounds, turnovers and game results. It provides no salary, revenue or ownership figures, and reports no union action, strike, government intervention or reform proposal connected to the series. Its account of the competition centers on athletes’ labor on the court and the teams’ route through the playoff bracket.