Dream Sweep Liberty in WNBA Semifinals, Ending Season

The Atlanta Dream eliminated the New York Liberty from the WNBA semifinals, completing a sweep with an 85-83 Game 3 victory Friday night at Barclays Center. The loss concludes a season for the Liberty that began with high expectations and ended with a semifinal exit.

The Liberty trailed by four points, 81-75, after DeWanna Bonner made three free throws with 3:15 remaining. Jonquel Jones scored on a layup, and Breanna Stewart made two free throws to cut the deficit. After a defensive stop and a drawn charge by Stewart, the Liberty had an opportunity to close the gap further.

However, Leonie Fiebich's potential go-ahead 3-pointer missed, and Jordin Canada scored a layup for the Dream, restoring a four-point lead with 1:15 left. Following another Jones basket, a turnover by Sabrina Ionescu was followed by a steal from Fiebich. The Liberty called a timeout to draw up a final play for Stewart, but the shot did not fall.

Stewart played 39:03, scoring 26 points on 6-of-15 shooting, with four rebounds and six assists. Jones also scored 26 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Angel Reese led the Dream with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Canada contributed 19 points and 11 assists.

The Liberty, who were favored to win the championship entering the season, finished with a 26-18 regular-season record, securing the eighth seed. They advanced past the Minnesota Lynx in the first round but were swept by the Dream in the semifinals. An offseason of significant evaluation now awaits the franchise.