The WNBA playoff bracket has taken shape with the Atlanta Dream moving on in convincing fashion, as Allisha Gray led them with 22 points in an 83-75 Game 2 win over the Washington Mystics on Tuesday night. The result sends the Eastern Conference's best regular-season team into the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2018.
Atlanta will host Game 1 against New York on Sunday, with the Dream now one step closer to turning a strong regular season into a deeper playoff run. For a franchise that last reached the semifinals four years ago, this was the kind of result that confirms the bracket is beginning to reflect the season-long pecking order.
Gray sets the tone for Atlanta
Gray was the key figure for Atlanta in Game 2, finishing with 22 points as the Dream closed out the first-round playoff series. That mattered because the Mystics had already forced the Dream to stay focused in a matchup that carried some pressure, with Washington making its first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship.
Atlanta had been the No. 1 seed, and that status now carries into the semifinals. The Dream have also reminded the rest of the bracket that regular-season form still counts when the games get tight.
What the bracket looks like now
The wider WNBA playoff bracket has already produced an unusual result, with New York's sweep of Minnesota creating the surprise of a No. 8 seed eliminating a No. 1 seed. That only adds to the interest around Atlanta's next series, because the Liberty arrive having already shown they can handle the pressure of a short postseason run.
There was also another first-round series in progress on Wednesday, when the Dallas Wings hosted the Golden State Valkyries. But for Atlanta, the immediate story is simpler: the Dream have advanced, Gray delivered when it mattered, and the next chapter begins on Sunday in New York.
