Atlanta moved within one win of its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013 on Wednesday night, beating the defending champion New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime at home to take a 2-0 lead in the semifinal series.
Naz Hillmon scored the go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Dream a decisive late advantage in front of a raucous home crowd.
Angel Reese, the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 23 points and contributed six of Atlanta's 13 overtime points.
Reese later made two free throws with less than five seconds remaining after Sabrina Ionescu threw an errant pass, helping Atlanta secure the victory.
Jordin Canada also scored 23 points and delivered eight assists for Atlanta, which had opened the semifinal series with a 92-82 victory over New York.
New York received a 35-point performance from Breanna Stewart, but she missed a desperation attempt on the final play of the game.
The Liberty rallied late in regulation after Atlanta led 86-80 with less than two minutes remaining. Ionescu then hit a deep 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to three points.
Atlanta committed a shot-clock violation with 31 seconds remaining, giving New York another possession. Stewart converted a layup through traffic to make the score 86-85.
Atlanta entered Game 2 without Allisha Gray, its leading scorer, after she was ruled out because of a hand injury.
Gray, a four-time All-Star, injured her left hand during the first quarter of Atlanta's 92-82 Game 1 victory.
She briefly returned after visiting the locker room before going down again while diving for a loose ball, and she did not return.
Wednesday was the first game Gray had missed this season. Atlanta received important scoring contributions from its bench while playing without its leading scorer.
Game 3 is scheduled for 7:30 p. m.
Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
