New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream
· Women's National Basketball AssociationLiberty beat Dream to remain in hunt for a playoff spot
New York (15-20) entered the game in a four-way tie with Minnesota, Atlanta and Phoenix for the final two playoff spots. The Lynx and Mercury each play later Friday night, and the Liberty host the Dream (14-21) on Sunday to close the regular season.
New York led by as many as 22 points, but Atlanta scored nine of the opening 10 points of the fourth quarter to get to 71-60. Erica Wheeler and Aari McDonald each made a fast-break layup on consecutive possessions to cap a 14-4 run to make it 74-67 with 6:15 left. But Atlanta did not make another field goal the rest of the way.
Sabrina Ionescu had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Natasha Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds for New York.
New York shot 63.6% from the field in the first quarter, scoring 31 points to take a four-point lead. The Liberty only scored 27 points in the second half.
Wheeler scored 16 points and Rhyne Howard added 13 for Atlanta. Cheyenne Parker had 13 points and McDonald scored 10.
Regular Season Series
NY wins series 3-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 80 - 70 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 80 - 70 |
| 4th 9.0 |  |
Stefanie Dolson defensive rebound | 80 - 70 |
| 4th 10.0 |  |
Aari McDonald misses driving layup | 80 - 70 |
| 4th 15.5 | |
Monique Billings defensive rebound | 80 - 70 |
Statistics
 NY |
 ATL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 31-66 | FG | 24-64 |
| 47 | Field Goal % | 38 |
| 4-16 | 3PT | 5-19 |
| 25 | Three Point % | 26 |
| 14-18 | FT | 17-24 |
| 78 | Free Throw % | 71 |
| 37 | Rebounds | 36 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
| 31 | Defensive Rebounds | 27 |
| 20 | Assists | 13 |
| 4 | Steals | 5 |
| 3 | Blocks | 1 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 11 | Total Turnovers | 13 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 13 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 13 |
| 9 | Fast Break Points | 15 |
| 40 | Points in Paint | 32 |
| 17 | Fouls | 15 |
| 22 | Largest Lead | 3 |
Game Information
Location: College Park, GA
Attendance: 3,138 · Capacity:
2025-26 Eastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indiana |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 New York |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 Washington |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 Connecticut |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 Chicago |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 Atlanta |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
 Toronto |
- | 0 | - | 0 | 0 |
WNBA News
Valkyries sign free agent Tiffany Hayes to one-year contract
The Valkyries have re-signed free agent guard Tiffany Hayes to a one-year deal. She averaged 11.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 26 games last season.
Now with Atlanta, Reese grateful for her time with Sky but wanted 'more'
Newly acquired Dream star forward Angel Reese says she was grateful for her time in Chicago but she wanted more.
Lynx star Collier aiming to return 'soon' after surgery on ankles
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who is still recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles, says she's working to return to the court "soon."
Aliyah Boston reaches 4-year, $6.3M extension with Fever
Three-time WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston has agreed to a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Fever, her agent told ESPN.
Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe announce separation on social media
Retired sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announced on social media that, after a decade together, they are no longer in a relationship.