After an all-out sprint between the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky to capture the No. 8 seed, the Dream (15-25) snuck into the back end of the 2024 WNBA playoffs on a photo finish. They bested the New York Liberty (32-8) on Thursday to secure their berth, and have since been rewarded with a hasty rematch.
The Dream are looking for their first playoff win since 2018. Last year, they were shut out in the first round by a No. 4-seed Dallas Wings team who went quiet in the semifinals. The previous four years, Atlanta failed to qualify for the postseason. The Liberty have their eyes on a bigger prize. Since losing in the 2023 WNBA Finals, New York has been out for vengeance.
The latest playoff format has only been used for two years, but eighth seeds have yet to win a game—let alone a series—against top seeds. Atlanta survived a bumpy regular season, but making history is a different monster. The New York Liberty are a different monster.
Can Atlanta find an edge?
Atlanta is streaky, but they haven’t shown enough to project…
