WNBA Semifinals Game 2 eve: Dream and Valkyries protect home court
Atlanta and Golden State lead 1-0. Liberty and Aces seek road answers on Wednesday 7 October.
Why this match matters
The 2026 WNBA Semifinals take an off-day on Tuesday 6 October before Wednesday’s high-stakes Game 2 double-header. Both lower seeds hold 1-0 leads after stunning Game 1 results. In Atlanta, the fourth-seeded Dream overturned a halftime deficit to down the New York Liberty 92-82. In San Francisco, the expansion Golden State Valkyries suffocated the two-time champion Las Vegas Aces 71-60. The Liberty and Aces now face vital road fixtures on Wednesday night to avoid falling into 0-2 holes.
What actually happened
In Atlanta, Jordin Canada scored 25 points, including 20 in the second half, alongside 5 steals to spark a 32-15 third-quarter run for the Dream. DeWanna Bonner poured in 23 points, offsetting 27 points from Sabrina Ionescu and 19 from Breanna Stewart. Dream guard Allisha Gray exited in the first half with a left-hand injury. In San Francisco, Gabby Williams delivered 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists as Golden State held Las Vegas to 60 points, their lowest playoff scoring output. A’ja Wilson finished with 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while Jewell Loyd left early in the third quarter with a leg injury.
What it changes
The best-of-five format leaves no margin for error. A second victory for Atlanta or Golden State would place them within one win of the 2026 WNBA Finals before the series shift to New York and Las Vegas for Game 3. Both Game 2 matchups take place on Wednesday 7 October, with Liberty at Dream at 7:00 p.m. ET and Aces at Valkyries at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Sources
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