2024 WNBA Playoff Preview: New York Liberty v. Atlanta Dream

2024 WNBA Playoff Preview: New York Liberty v. Atlanta Dream

Today is the day! The WNBA postseason tips off Sunday with four best-of-three series. Today, we are going to be previewing the No. 8 Atlanta Dream against the No. 1 Connecticut Sun, who are looking to finally get over the hump this fall! Let’s dive into it!

Game	Date	Matchup	Time (EST)	TV
Game 1	Sept. 22	Dream @ Liberty	1 p.m.	ESPN
Game 2	Sept. 24	Dream @ Liberty	7:30 p.m.	ESPN
Game 3*	Sept. 26	Liberty @ Dream	TBD	ESPN2

What we know about the Liberty:

Starters:

• Courtney Vandersloot
• Sabrina Ionescu
• Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
• Breanna Stewart
• Jonquel Jones

Key Reserves:

• Leonie Fiebich
• Kayla Thorton

The Liberty, led by Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, were the best team in the WNBA throughout the 2024 season. For the second straight year, they finished the season 32-8, posting the league’s top offense and NET Rating combined with the third-best defense.

While remaining aggressive, Ionescu had a down shooting season, specifically from beyond the arc. Though she was still one of the best combo guards in the sport with her rim pressure and passing capabilities. Stewart continued to play at an MVP level this season, even if she didn’t quite earn that recognition. She posted 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 45.8 percent shooting and 56.9 percent true shooting.

Vandersloot, 35, took a step back in her role this season. But she’s still a savant who’s seemingly three steps ahead of everyone when she’s on the floor. Laney-Hamilton missed time recovering from a knee injury, but began to reacclimate herself toward the end of the season, averaging 19.9 points and 4.1 rebounds on 45.3 percent shooting and 48.1 percent from distance. Her two-way skillset, should she continue to build her rhythm, will be crucial if the Liberty wants to get over the top. Keep an eye on rookie Leonie Fiebich, who’s been a valuable cog off the Liberty bench this season.

What we know about the Dream:

Starters:

• Jordin Canada
• Allisha Gray
• Rhyne Howard
• Naz Hillmon
• Tina Charles

Key Reserves:

• Haley Jones
• Cheyenne Parker
• Nia Coffey

The Dream were much better post-Olympics, but they still had to scratch-and-claw their way to a postseason bid over the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky.

Atlanta is led by Rhyne Howard, who missed 10 games during the summer with an ankle injury. Regardless, she still averaged 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, and will need to have a huge series if the Dream have any chance at pulling off this monumental upset. Gray made her second consecutive All-Star team in her second year in Atlanta, and her two-way skillset will be very valuable in this series against Ionescu, Laney-Hamilton and Fiebich.

The Dream, which was the worst offensive team in the sport, didn’t have much scoring firepower outside of Gray and Howard, consistently. Charles is always a threat on the interior and offensive glass; Canada’s will make life easier for her teammates from a playmaking perspective, despite being a below-average shooter (though she did end the season strong); Hillmon continues to grow as an offensive player, but will be entering her first career postseason.

Biggest questions:

Can the Dream manufacture enough offense to keep up?

Atlanta was the WNBA’s worst offense and second-worst 3-point shooting team with the fourth-lowest volume on a per-possession basis. Sometimes, in a three-game series, all it takes is one team to get really hot for a game or two.

Though Dream isn’t sound enough defensively to muck the game up against the league’s best offense, meaning they’re going to need to outscore them. Neither team goes at a quick pace, and I expect either Howard or Gray to see plenty of Laney-Hamilton, who’s a lockdown defender.

That will mean at least two of Gray, Canada (who will have a heavy playmaking burden), Charles or Parker must step up big time. Charles is one of the best rebounders the league has ever seen, but the Liberty is also the league’s top defensive rebounding team. Any extra possession the Dream can get will be beneficial, though they’re going to need to capitalize on them way more often than not.

Can Sabrina Ionescu find her rhythm?

As I noted above, Ionescu’s efficiency dipped this season, in part due to a neck injury in August. Since her return, she wasn’t as potent offensively. Over her final three games, she converted just seven of her 37 attempts (18.9 percent), including 4-of-19 3-point attempts. Shooters are going to shoot until find their rhythm? Perhaps this two-day rest is exactly what Ionescu needed, but I’m curious to see if she can re-find her shooting touch over the next several weeks, should the Liberty stay alive.

2024 WNBA Playoff Preview: #3 Connecticut Sun Vs. #6 Indiana Fever

Series Prediction:

Liberty in 2. I don’t think this will be much of a series–I would be stunned if the Dream catches one game, let alone two.

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