Jordin Canada scored 25 points and DeWanna Bonner added 23 to help the Atlanta Dream pull away for a 92-82 victory over the visiting New York Liberty in Game 1 of a best-of-five semifinal series Sunday afternoon.
Angel Reese scored 17 points and Rhyne Howard posted 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the No. 4 seed Dream, who will host New York in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Bonner, the third-leading scorer in WNBA history, added a team-high nine rebounds for the Dream, with whom she signed in late August after agreeing to a contract buyout with Phoenix.
“I didn’t call anyone, but I was just really excited,” Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said of adding Bonner. “She knows we tried to add her a couple times and it just never worked out. I just thought she was exactly what we needed. Not just because of the veteran presence and all the experience, but because she still plays like she did tonight.”
Sabrina Ionescu led the eighth-seeded Liberty with 27 points, followed by Breanna Stewart’s 19. Jonquel Jones chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds for New York, which committed 21 turnovers that the Dream converted into 32 points.
“(The Dream) upped their defensive pressure and I think we were driving into lanes and not really creating a good outlet for our teammates,” Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said. “I think we’ll go back, watch the film and understand those points off turnovers really matter, especially against a team that thrives off of it.”
Trailing by three at halftime, Atlanta began the third quarter on a 15-3 run and took a 52-43 advantage on Reese’s steal and fast-break layup.
After a pair of Ionescu free throws stopped the bleeding, Canada scored five of the Dream’s seven straight points to extend the lead to 59-45.
Reserve Te-Hina Paopao made her only field goal with nine seconds left to stamp a third quarter that saw Atlanta outscore New York 32-15.
Bonner continued the Dream’s strong stretch with a layup to begin the fourth quarter and push the lead to 71-55. New York answered with eight straight points, including five from Stewart, to pull within eight.
The Liberty cut their deficit to 82-77 on Stewart’s layup with 2:50 remaining, but Reese made a layup and Canada — who scored 20 of her 25 points in the second half — drilled a triple to push the margin to 10 at the 1:30 mark and ice the win.
New York led 24-21 after the first quarter. Atlanta grabbed its first lead of the second quarter as Howard drilled a midrange jumper to stamp a 6-0 run and put the Dream ahead 30-29 with 6:09 remaining.
Neither side held more than a four-point lead the rest of the first half, as the Liberty grabbed a 40-37 halftime advantage.
Ionescu and Bonner led all scorers with 12 first-half points apiece.
–Field Level Media
