If defense could win matchups, Game 1 of the Atlanta Dream-New York Liberty series showed us just that. The team had been the league’s best defense this season and relied on its strengths after Allisha Gray left with an injury. Game 2, however, was a completely different ball game.

The fourth-seeded team remained relentless and showed that its offensive side can do just as much harm. But while they are now just one win away from the WNBA Finals, they certainly did not get there the easy way. After taking control of the semifinal series with a convincing Game 1 victory, Atlanta was pushed to the absolute limit by the New York Liberty on Wednesday night by Breanna Stewart’s 35-point masterpiece. The Dream barely pulled away in overtime and is now one step away from the finals since 2013. That win, however, did not come without some drama, beginning with what happened in the very end.

Officiating Blunder Denies Liberty a Final Chance

The losing team is always crying about the officiating. But what would you do if your case were legitimate? The Liberty is now questioning that very thing after losing its second semifinal game by a wire.

With 4.3 seconds left in the game, while Angel Reese was making her free throws to put Atlanta up 101-98, Breanna Stewart asked referee Kevin Fahy whether New York still had a reset timeout available. Fahy then checked with the scorer’s table, who incorrectly informed him that they, in fact, did not. That was the first domino.

The same confusion reportedly extended to New York’s coaching staff. Head coach Chris DeMarco and other members of the Liberty bench also asked officials whether they had a reset timeout, only to receive the same incorrect answer. As a result, New York did not receive the opportunity to advance the ball into the frontcourt and draw up a final play that could possibly give them a chance to close the gap to tie it, forcing another overtime.

Instead, the Liberty had to inbound from underneath their own basket and attempt a desperate full-court heave with the clock winding down. It never had a realistic chance of reaching its target before the buzzer sounded. For Stewart, the situation was understandably painful to process.

“This is not blaming the refs, but when I ask both refs if we have a reset timeout at the end and they tell us no, and then we leave the game with the reset timeout, it’s pretty frustrating,” she said. “Yeah, OK, I kind of got a good look at the end, but would just love to have some clarity on that situation.”

For a Liberty team that had fought so hard to force overtime and came within seconds of stealing the game, the miscommunication definitely felt unfair. They didn’t stop chasing the clarification, though.

Liberty chases an understanding of the Reset Timeout decision

According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the New York Liberty have now made an official inquiry regarding the situation. The situation becomes even more interesting considering that even the Dream’s head coach, Chris DeMarco, was also left confused with what happened.

“I was, I thought they had a timeout left,” Smesko said. “But they played it out the way they did. So I was expecting it to be advanced, but it wasn’t, so we had to play it, and fortunately we were able to get the stop.”

As they say, though, that one play did change the outcome, but not how the game went. And despite how Ionescu helped her team out of a deep hole, her final fumble made things worse.

Sabrina Ionescu’s Late Turnover: Liberty’s Costliest Mistake

The New York Liberty actually had one final chance to change the outcome of an incredibly tight overtime battle. Trailing 99-98 with just 12 seconds remaining, they retained possession after a jump ball, giving them an opportunity to reclaim the lead or at least force Atlanta into a difficult defensive situation. Instead, Sabrina Ionescu’s pass sailed out of bounds with seven seconds left, effectively ending New York’s hopes.

The mistake was particularly costly because the Liberty had already fought back from an eight-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation and had even taken a 96-93 overtime lead. But after Ionescu’s turnover, the Dream recovered the ball and never looked back.

Fauthoux was forced to foul Reese with four seconds remaining, resulting in two free throws, which Reese then calmly converted to make it 101-98 and seal the result.

Ionescu had already been involved in some of New York’s most important moments throughout the night, including the deep three-pointer that cut Atlanta’s lead late in regulation. And so, she did not shy away from holding herself accountable in front of the reporters or her team.

“I told them it was my fault,” Ionescu said. “I took ownership for that. This loss is on me. I’ve got to take it on the chin, and I’ve got to be better.”

New York simply could not afford another turnover at the worst possible time, especially with the Dream’s defensive maestro bringing out her offensive side as well.

Angel Reese’s Clutch Overtime Masterclass

Reese had already established herself as the defensive star of Game 1, denying the Liberty to even sniff the paint. But in Game 2, it was her ability to deliver offensively in the biggest moments that ultimately made the difference.

Reese finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Her most important work came in overtime, where she scored six of Atlanta’s 13 points.

And when it mattered most, following Ionescu’s turnover with four seconds left, she stepped to the free-throw line and calmly knocked down both attempts to put the game out of reach, throwing all of Liberty’s hard-fought work down the drain.

Breanna Stewart’s 35-Point Performance Goes in Vain

If New York was going to even the series, Breanna Stewart appeared determined to make it happen on her own terms. After 19 points in Game 1, she exploded in Game 2, scoring 25 of New York’s 54 first-half points and making Atlanta’s defense look incapable of containing her for long stretches.

She repeatedly found ways to score around the basket, from the perimeter, and at the free-throw line while also impacting the game as a rebounder and playmaker. Stewart finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, a complete and extraordinary individual performance. She was also there in the most critical moments.

With New York trailing 86-80 late in the fourth quarter, she scored on a layup in traffic to cut the deficit to one. In overtime, she scored again to give the Liberty a 98-97 lead with 30 seconds remaining, putting New York within touching distance of a series-shifting victory.

But even Stewart’s brilliance could not compensate for New York’s mistakes in the moments that decided the game. The Liberty needed more consistent contributions around their superstar, and Atlanta’s ability and collective effort ultimately proved more decisive than any individual performance.

Jordin Canada Again Fills the Void Left by Allisha Gray

Atlanta had to play without Allisha Gray after she was ruled out due to the left-hand injury she sustained in Game 1. In both games, Jordin Canada stepped into the void and delivered.

Canada finished with 23 points and eight assists, matching Reese’s scoring total while running the Dream’s offense with composure and authority. Her value extended well beyond her own scoring. She either scored or assisted on 45 of Atlanta’s 101 points, a number that reflects just how thoroughly she controlled the game’s offensive rhythm.

Her turnaround jumper with 1:47 remaining in overtime gave the Dream a 96-95 lead in one of the game’s most pivotal possessions.

Replacing Gray’s production was never going to be a one-player job. Canada has nevertheless embraced that responsibility with remarkable consistency through the opening two games of this series.

Marine Fauthoux’s Heroics Force Overtime

For much of the fourth quarter, Atlanta looked poised to close out another regulation victory. The Dream led 86-80 with under two minutes remaining. That was a position that should have been enough to close the game out. But then Marine Fauthoux stepped forward. 

The Liberty guard knocked down a massive three-pointer with just over ten seconds remaining to tie the game at 88-88. And even though Atlanta had one final possession, Rhyne Howard’s midrange attempt rimmed out before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Fauthoux finished with 20 points and six rebounds, and her late-game shot was the sole reason New York had an additional five minutes to fight for their season. Unfortunately for the Liberty, even that was not enough to turn the night in their favor.

Atlanta’s Depth Comes Through in a Big Way

One of the biggest questions entering Game 2 was how Atlanta would cope with Gray’s absence. The answer was simple: As DeMarco expected, everybody else stepped up.

The Dream had six players score in double figures, tying a franchise playoff record. Alongside Reese and Canada, Rhyne Howard contributed 18 points, while Naz Hillmon added 12. DeWanna Bonner also finished with ten, and Isobel Borlase provided one of the most important contributions off the bench with 11 points.

Borlase was particularly valuable during the third quarter, when she knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to help Atlanta build a seven-point advantage. Her second three made it 67-75 with less than two minutes remaining in the period. That kind of contribution is exactly what Atlanta needed without Gray.

Rather than trying to find one player capable of replacing their leading scorer, the Dream spread the responsibility across the roster. And against a New York team that had Stewart producing at an elite level, that balance ultimately proved decisive.

Turnovers, Despite Extra Possessions, Doom the Liberty

Perhaps the strangest thing about Game 2 was that New York actually shot the ball considerably better than Atlanta. The Liberty connected on 55% of their field-goal attempts and shot 48% from three-point range, while the Dream shot 40.5% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Yet Atlanta still found a way to score 101 points.

The biggest reason was possession.

New York’s turnovers repeatedly handed Atlanta additional opportunities, and the Dream converted those mistakes into 28 points. Atlanta also dominated the offensive glass, helping them generate even more chances despite their inferior shooting efficiency.

Turnovers were also the Liberty’s undoing in Game 1. The Dream forced them into 21 total turnovers, which turned into 32 points to match the all-time WNBA playoff record for the most points scored off turnovers in a single game. That’s a clear problem they’ll have to fix if they want to extend this series beyond Game 3.

But the damning reality now is that the Liberty is facing a grim situation. Can the New York Liberty change history? Or is this already over for the Liberty?