Allisha Gray sends Dream into playoffs with something better than a statement win

The Atlanta Dream needed one more win to remove any doubt about where their playoff opener would be played. Allisha Gray made sure they got it.

Gray scored 24 points Wednesday as Atlanta beat the New York Liberty 83-65 in Brooklyn. The Dream finished the regular season 30-14, clinched the No. 4 seed and secured home-court advantage for their first-round series.

Atlanta will host Game 1 at State Farm Arena on Sunday, Sept. 27. The opponent will be determined by the final standings.

A second win that means more than the first

The Dream had beaten New York 95-84 on Monday. That game showed they could win on the road in a playoff-like atmosphere. Wednesday’s result showed they could do it again with a specific prize on the line.

Gray led the scoring, while Naz Hillmon added 16 points. Atlanta held the Liberty to 65, a useful number for a team preparing for a short postseason series. In a best-of-three first round, there is little time to recover from one poor defensive night.

The two wins also completed a five-game Dream winning streak. That is welcome momentum, though it offers no guarantee against an opponent that will have several days to prepare. Atlanta’s rise has not depended on one player carrying every possession. Angel Reese has been central to its work on the glass, Rhyne Howard supplies perimeter scoring, and Gray can take over a stretch when the game calls for it. Wednesday was Gray’s turn.

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Home court is an advantage, not a pass

Under the WNBA’s first-round format, the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 3, if a third game is necessary. The lower seed hosts Game 2. Securing No. 4 therefore gives Atlanta an opening game in front of its own crowd and a possible deciding game there as well. The Dream cannot assume the series will reach that third date. A best-of-three can turn on a single cold shooting night or a few lost possessions.

That is why Wednesday’s performance should matter to Atlanta more than the label “statement win.” The Dream defended, shared the work and took care of the result they needed. They will need those habits again when the games stop counting toward seeding and start deciding who goes home.

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