The Atlanta Dream are moving on.
Atlanta defeated the Washington Mystics 93-75 to complete the opening-round sweep and advance past the first round of the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2018.
While Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 22 points, it was the Dream’s balance and a tremendous all-around performance from Jordin Canada that helped Atlanta pull away from Washington and close the series.
Canada finished with 19 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, recording her third career postseason double-double. She also delivered one of the biggest surprises of the night from behind the arc, knocking down four three-pointers.
Washington consistently gave Canada space on the perimeter, and she made the Mystics pay.
“She just sees the floor so well. She pushes the pace. I mean, she’s really our engine,” Gray said after the game. “We go as she goes.”
Canada was particularly effective when Atlanta needed her most. After Washington cut into Atlanta’s lead in the third quarter, the Dream entered the fourth leading 65-58.
Atlanta responded by producing its highest-scoring quarter of the night.
The Dream outscored Washington 28-17 over the final 10 minutes to turn what had become a competitive game into an 18-point victory.
“She was fantastic down the stretch,” Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of Canada. “It gets to the fourth quarter and we need some key baskets, and she’s knocking down threes, getting to the rim, moving the ball to open teammates. She just came up huge for us.”
Atlanta’s Balance Was the Difference
Canada’s performance was part of a much larger story for Atlanta.
All five Dream starters scored in double figures.
Gray led Atlanta with 22 points while adding four steals. Canada followed with 19, Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese each scored 15, and Naz Hillmon added 10.
That balance made Atlanta difficult to defend throughout the night.
The Dream knocked down 13 three-pointers, tying the franchise postseason record for threes in a game, while shooting 40.6% from behind the arc. Atlanta also converted 90.9% of its free throws.
The starting group of Canada, Gray, Howard, Hillmon and Reese is now 2-0 in the postseason.
Atlanta’s offense complemented the defensive identity that has been one of the team’s strengths. The Dream forced 19 Washington turnovers and converted them into 23 points.
Reese contributed three blocks, while Gray recorded four steals, Canada added three steals and Howard finished with two steals and a block.
A Different Dream Team
Perhaps the biggest indication of Atlanta’s growth came when Washington made its push.
The Mystics trailed 41-35 at halftime before outscoring Atlanta 23-24 in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to seven entering the fourth.
Atlanta didn’t unravel.
Instead, the Dream responded with a decisive final period.
Gray pointed to that composure afterward as one of the major differences between this year’s team and previous versions of Atlanta.
“Last year, we would get big leads and then we would lose them, and then we would lose the game,” Gray said. “This season, we really put an emphasis on making sure we’re doing the things that we need to do to close out games.”
That growth has extended beyond Atlanta’s ability to protect leads.
Smesko credited another year of continuity with helping the Dream become more comfortable playing together and understanding how to maximize each other’s strengths.
“We know each other really well,” Smesko said. “We know how to play into each other’s strengths, and I just think overall…it’s more cohesive in terms of doing whatever they can to win this year.”
Gray Continues to Make Dream History
The victory also added several postseason milestones for Gray and Canada.
Gray eclipsed 200 career postseason points after scoring her first point of the game and moved into third place in Dream history for 20-point playoff performances.
Canada moved into fourth place on Atlanta’s all-time postseason assists list and added another playoff double-double to her résumé.
Their production helped Atlanta improve to 8-4 all-time against Washington in postseason play.
For Washington, Sonia Citron led all scorers with 25 points, while Kiki Iriafen controlled the glass with a game-high 16 rebounds.
The Mystics’ season ends after a promising campaign, but Atlanta’s continues.
And the challenge gets significantly bigger from here.
Next Up: The Defending Champions
Atlanta now turns its attention to the New York Liberty.
Despite entering the postseason as the No. 8 seed, New York advanced by eliminating the Minnesota Lynx and brings a roster loaded with postseason experience.
The matchup presents a different challenge than Washington.
New York can attack with size inside, while Atlanta has built much of its success around physicality, defensive pressure, pace and its ability to generate offense from multiple positions.
Atlanta will enter the next round carrying something it hasn’t had since 2018: a first-round playoff series victory.
More importantly, the Dream aren’t advancing because of one player carrying the load.
Five starters scored in double figures. Atlanta defended. Atlanta hit threes. Atlanta forced turnovers. And when Washington threatened, the Dream closed.
For a team with aspirations beyond simply making the playoffs, that may be the most encouraging part of all.
Final: Atlanta Dream 93, Washington Mystics 75
Atlanta wins the series and advances past the opening round of the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2018.
