Liberty Lean on Playoff Experience Against Dream

The New York Liberty are preparing to face the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA semifinals, a matchup where the Liberty hold a distinct advantage: extensive playoff experience. This will be the Liberty's third semifinals appearance in four years and Breanna Stewart's sixth all-time.

Stewart, a veteran of numerous deep playoff runs, emphasized the importance of accumulated playoff experience. "Experience in the playoffs definitely matters," Stewart said. "There’s so many things [during a longer series] that you have to stay focused on the end goal."

The Liberty enter the series after a decisive 2-0 sweep of the Minnesota Lynx in the first round, a performance that demonstrated a heightened level of focus and connectivity. "The approach that we’re having in these playoffs is pretty much where you want to be," Stewart added. "We’re the ones that are staying poised, staying under control at all times. But we’re gonna be aggressive for the full 40 minutes, and if you want something, you’re gonna have to go through us to get it."

In contrast, the Atlanta Dream are reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2018. Only a few players on the Dream roster have previous semifinal experience, and not with the Atlanta team.

This difference in experience is particularly significant in a best-of-five series, where the mental and emotional fortitude of a team is tested over a longer duration. Stewart recalled a memorable 2018 semifinal series where her Seattle Storm team faced a similar challenge, ultimately winning a Game 5.

"With this group, for the majority of us, [we’ve] been in this type of series where it’s not getting too high or too low is the huge important part," Stewart said. "And what we did in the first round is great — we’re happy to be here — but that wasn’t a goal for our season to get out of the first round."

The Dream, however, concluded the regular season by defeating New York in back-to-back games. Stewart missed the second of those contests due to knee soreness. The Liberty's ability to value possession, limit turnovers, and maintain their fast-paced style will be crucial. Additionally, controlling the boards and limiting the Dream's second-chance points will be key factors in the series.

"It’ll be interesting to see how they match up at the start of the series," Stewart said. "It’s just who can play a better chess match."

Game 1 of the series is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.