The Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty opened their WNBA semifinal series with a wild Game 1 in Atlanta.
Allisha Gray went down with an injury to her left shooting hand and was ruled out, but instead of falling apart, the Dream became even more aggressive. Atlanta’s defense completely disrupted New York, forcing turnover after turnover and turning them into easy points in transition.
Angel Reese was everywhere defensively, DeWanna Bonner stepped up in a huge way after Gray went out, and Jordin Canada put together an incredible third quarter while playing with three fouls. Meanwhile, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones struggled to find any offensive rhythm as the Liberty repeatedly hurt themselves with careless passes.
Through three quarters, Atlanta had forced 19 Liberty turnovers, recorded 14 steals and scored 29 points off turnovers, while taking a 69-55 lead into the fourth.