B/R
The top seed in the WNBA playoffs plays like a top seed.
The New York Liberty wrapped up their first-round sweep of the eighth-seeded Atlanta Dream with a 91-82 victory on Tuesday at Barclays Center. That wasn’t a huge surprise, as the Liberty have their eyes on the WNBA title and have defeated the Dream in three of their four regular-season games.
They also won Game 1 comfortably with 83:69.
New York has done its job, and the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces will look to do the same in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Las Vegas is looking to become the first WNBA team to win three consecutive championships since the Houston Comets won the league’s first four titles from 1997 to 2000. They took the first step in that direction with a win in their first game against the Seattle Storm.
Here’s a look at Tuesday’s results and schedule.
Results and schedule of the WNBA playoffs on Tuesday
- No. 1 New York Liberty beat No. 8 Atlanta Dream 91-82
- No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 9:30 p.m. ET
New York Liberty 91, Atlanta Dream 82
The Liberty desperately wanted a clear win so they could focus on the next round, but the Dream didn’t understand that.
In fact, the visitors built a double-digit lead in the first half, with Allisha Gray shining from distance. While New York fought back in the second quarter and took the lead, Atlanta did not let that deter them and rebuilt a five-point lead by halftime before a choppy second half.
Ultimately, however, the Liberty had too much firepower.
Sabrina Ionescu was unstoppable on her way to 36 points, nine assists and three steals, shooting 12 of 23 from the field and 5 of 11 from beyond the arc. She made two straight three-pointers to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, then assisted Leonie Fiebich on a crucial and-1 as the home team began to take control.
Ionescu was not alone, as Jonquel Jones (20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and a block on 8 of 12 shooting from the field) managed a double-double, while Breanna Stewart contributed 13 points and six rebounds.
Atlanta received 26 points thanks to 5 of 8 long-range shooting from Gray and a convincing performance from Rhyne Howard (19 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks).
Nevertheless, in the end it was not enough.
Ionescu controlled the tempo even when she didn’t directly score or assist, and fittingly decided the game at the free throw line as the crowd rewarded her with MVP chants.
