WNBA playoffs results, takeaways: Dream ‘old head’ leads them to semifinals for 1st time since 2018
The hardest game in any series is the close-out game, and it’s the one this current Atlanta Dream core hadn’t yet figured out how to win. Facing a boisterous Washington Mystics home crowd and dealing with a tight whistle and foul trouble for Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese, the conditions were ripe for an upset by the lower seed to send the best-of-three series back to Atlanta. Instead, with the…
The Atlanta Dream, led by 31-year-old veteran Allisha Gray, advanced to the WNBA playoffs semifinals for the first time since 2018 with a hard-fought 93-75 victory over the Washington Mystics. The Dream faced a boisterous Mystics crowd and dealt with foul trouble for key players Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese. Despite the challenging conditions, Gray emerged as the "old head" of the team, providing the steadying force necessary to keep Washington at bay.
Playing her 10th season, Gray finished with an impressive 22 assists and four steals, contributing three assists while only committing one turnover. Throughout the game, Gray dominated off the offensive rebounds, attacking the Mystics' defense, scoring from distance with three three-pointers, and securing the rim on mid-range shots.
Her consistent drive to the basket, aided by her left-handedness, made her a formidable opponent. Washington narrowed the margin to one possession in the fourth quarter, but Gray orchestrated a 13-0 run to regain control. With three straight first-round losses, the Dream's experience proved crucial in overcoming the adversity. The victory sets up the Dream to face the No. 8 seed New York Liberty, who they will host on Sunday.
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