The Atlanta Dream will open their WNBA semifinals series on Sunday afternoon, hosting the No. 8-seeded New York Liberty in a best-of-five matchup. Atlanta, the fourth seed, enters the series after a strong postseason start, having swept the Washington Mystics in two games by a combined 33 points. The Dream posted a franchise-best 30 wins during the regular season, matching their previous high from last year, and are aiming to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013.

Second-year head coach Karl Smesko expressed confidence in his team's progression, highlighting the improved cohesion from last season. "We knew we were a good team last year, but I was learning the [WNBA], they were learning the system and there were some stress points where maybe there wasn’t complete clarity in what we wanted to do," Smesko said. "A year later, I think everybody just feels a lot more comfortable."

Key contributors for the Dream included Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard during their first postseason series win since 2016. Gray averaged 22.0 points per game, while Howard added 20.5 points. Gray, who is competing in the semifinals for the first time in her 10-year career, emphasized the importance of maintaining focus going forward. "The biggest thing is staying locked in," she said. "We know the job’s not done. Of course we were happy with the series victory, but now we’ve put it behind us and can focus on New York."

The Liberty’s appearance in the semifinals is considered a significant upset, as they became the first No. 8 seed in WNBA history to eliminate a No. 1 seed by sweeping the Minnesota Lynx in two games by a combined 32 points. New York’s turnaround this season came under rookie head coach Chris DeMarco, who guided the Liberty from a 13-12 record in mid-July to winning 13 of their last 17 games. DeMarco downplayed the surprise of the upset, citing steady improvement throughout the season. "I feel like we’ve been trending in the right direction for a while now and it doesn’t always show up in wins and losses," he said. "But we were ready to play and we knew we had to be at our best at the end of September and October and I think we are right now."

Breanna Stewart led New York’s charge against Minnesota, averaging 27.5 points per game during the series, while Sabrina Ionescu contributed 15.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. The Liberty faced the Dream three times during the regular season, dropping two of those contests, including back-to-back losses at the end of the campaign on September 21 and 23. The upcoming series will test whether New York’s momentum can carry them past the experienced Dream as both teams vie for a place in the WNBA Finals.