Angel Reese leads Dream to first WNBA Finals as Breanna Stewart suffers first playoff sweep

Reese's 22‑point performance clinched the series as Stewart became the first player to be swept in a WNBA playoff series.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:41:01 GMT

In Game 3 of the semifinals on Oct. 9, 2026, the Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 85‑83 to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time, while Breanna Stewart endured the first sweep of her playoff career.

What happened

The Dream closed out the best‑of‑five series with a 2‑point victory at Barclays Center. Reese finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. The win gave Atlanta a 3‑0 series margin, eliminating the Liberty.

What the reports add

Sportskeeda noted that fans on X (formerly Twitter) celebrated the result as the start of an "Angel Reese era," posting messages such as "We have just entered the Angel Reese era wow😭❤️." The outlet also highlighted ESPN’s Alexa Philippou pointing out that Stewart was swept for the first time in her 11‑year career. The New York Post quoted Reese saying she had "manifested" the Finals appearance, referencing a social‑media post from Oct. 10, 2025, when the Aces won the championship.

What was said

"I manifested this," Reese told ESPN, according to the New York Post. "I posted and tweeted, 10/10/25, that I was manifesting the Finals, and this is my moment," she added. Alexa Philippou of ESPN wrote on X, "Breanna Stewart left the floor at Barclays with a towel around her head. This is the first time in her career she has been swept in the WNBA playoffs."

How it came about

The Dream’s surge follows a series of playoff victories: they beat the Washington Mystics 93‑75 on Oct. 1 to reach the semifinals (Felo), and earlier in the postseason secured a Game 2 overtime win on Oct. 8 after a disputed timeout (Felo). Reese’s season has been historic, including a single‑season rebounding record set on Sep. 20 (Felo) and a dominant 95‑84 win over the Liberty on Sep. 22 (Felo).

Key facts

Angel Reese scored 22 points to lead Atlanta to an 85-83 series‑clinching win (nypost.com)
Breanna Stewart was swept for the first time in her 11‑year playoff career (sportskeeda.com)
The victory gave the Dream their first WNBA Finals appearance (nypost.com)
Fans on X celebrated the result as the start of an "Angel Reese era" (sportskeeda.com)