Liberty Lose Home-Court Advantage After Loss to Dream
A 95-84 defeat to the Atlanta Dream means the New York Liberty will begin the playoffs on the road.
The New York Liberty will start the postseason away from home after a 95-84 loss to the Atlanta Dream at Barclays Center on Monday. The defeat cost the Liberty any chance of securing home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The Liberty, who will face the Dream again on Wednesday in their regular-season finale, can finish no higher than fifth or lower than eighth in the standings. With only three days remaining in the regular season, all eight playoff spots are undecided, a level of uncertainty described as unprecedented for this late in the season.
Dream coach Karl Smesko commented on the league's parity, suggesting it is setting the stage for "the best playoffs in pro sports." The games following the FIBA Women's World Cup break have provided a preview of the intense postseason competition.
In Monday's physical contest, Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 27 points and 14 rebounds, also receiving her first technical foul since 2017. Jonquel Jones contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Dream had five players score in double figures, including DeWanna Bonner with 17 points off the bench. Angel Reese added 18 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Liberty had shown promise in their first two games back from the break, defeating the league-leading Lynx and the expansion Tempo. However, playing at home for the first time in three weeks, they struggled offensively, particularly from beyond the arc. They shot 1-for-13 from three-point range in the first half, their lowest output in the first two quarters of a game since July 2024.
Despite the shooting struggles, the Liberty remained competitive. A late defensive rebound by the Dream led to a three-point play by Bonner, extending Atlanta's lead just before halftime. The Dream widened their advantage in the second half, opening with a 9-2 run.
New York mounted a brief comeback in the third quarter, with Pauline Astier and Sabrina Ionescu hitting three-pointers, and Stewart adding a basket during an 8-0 run that narrowed the deficit to 55-53. However, the Dream held on to secure the victory. This was only the second meeting between the two teams this season; the Liberty won the earlier matchup 104-90 on June 11 in Atlanta. The Dream have been strong recently, holding a 16-4 record in their last 20 games and avoiding consecutive losses since early July.