Story perspectives

Atlanta Dream Sweep Mystics 2-0 Into WNBA Semifinals

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 3:09 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Atlanta Dream swept Washington Mystics 2-0 to reach the WNBA semifinals.
Game 2 ended 93-75 after a chippy series with 53 combined fouls.
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner contributed 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Angel Reese posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in her playoff debut.
Washington entered the series with only six playoff games of experience.

History

Historical Context

When the WNBA launched in 1997, the Houston Comets captured the inaugural championship, establishing a professional platform for women's basketball. The league began with eight franchises, including the Atlanta Dream’s owner Kelly Loeffler, and secured a $12 million television deal with NBC. Today's playoff sweep by the Dream mirrors the Comets’ 1998 dominance, when they repeated as champions, defeating the Phoenix Mercury by similar margins. That early success proved that sustained investment and media exposure could elevate women's basketball, prompting the league’s expansion to 12 teams by 2006.

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Story summary

Atlanta Dream swept Washington Mystics 2-0 to reach the WNBA semifinals.
Game 2 ended 93-75 after a chippy series with 53 combined fouls.
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner contributed 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Angel Reese posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in her playoff debut.
Washington entered the series with only six playoff games of experience.

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