What's Going On With The WNBA
Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream ATLANTA, GA â JUNE 20: Angel Reese 5 of the Atlanta Dream shoots the ball during a game between Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena on June 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 9405 ©Credit - ImagoAngel Reese is on a dream run with Atlanta. She wasnât afraid to manifest her own success, and the Dream has turned that ambition into reality. After sweeping the New York Liberty in the WNBA semifinals, the 24-year-old is heading to the biggest stage of her professional career. And a former NBA star has a message for her that perfectly captures the moment.
For the past two seasons, Angel Reese was watching playoffs from home. Last year in October, the forward posted, âmanifesting the finals>>>â on social media. Before the year is even completed, she revisited that post after Atlanta punched its ticket to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013. Her follow-up tweet was â364 DAYS LATERâŠâ
After public friction with the Chicago Sky, she was traded to the Atlanta Dream before the season. And now she was crucial in leading the Dream. Lou Williams recognized the effort and has publicly supported her since arriving in Atlanta.
âYouâre a winner big dawg,â wrote the former three-time Sixth Man of the Year on X.
Atlanta defeated New York 85-83 in Game 3 on Friday, completing a three-game sweep of the 2024 champions. Angel Reese finished with a team-high 22 points and also contributed with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Her performance helped the fourth-seeded Dream withstand a late Liberty rally and secure their place in the championship series.
Rhyne Howard added 21 points, while Jordin Canada recorded 19 points and 11 assists. The contributions made sure Atlanta didnât let New York dictate the closing minutes.
The Liberty had already shown how dangerous they could be. After Atlanta built a 44-39 halftime advantage, New York responded in the third quarter and took a 68-66 lead into the fourth. The Dream had to recover quickly, and they did just enough to hold on.
Angel Reese also delivered when the game tightened in the final seconds, helping Atlanta protect its narrow advantage. Her scoring, rebounding, and presence inside proved crucial against a Liberty team that had entered the postseason with championship expectations. This marked the culmination of a goal she had publicly declared a year earlier.
âI manifested this,â an emotional Reese said in an interview after the game. âWhen I came to Atlanta, I knew what I was getting. This team has poured so much into me â we pour so much into each other. I posted and tweeted 10/10/25 that I was manifesting the finals, and this is my moment. Iâm supposed to be here. I thank God for this moment. And Iâm just so thankful.â
Atlantaâs 3-0 series victory might look straightforward on paper, but the Dream had to survive two tense finishes.
Game 1 ended with a 92-82 Atlanta win after the Dream took control in the second half. Their 32-15 advantage in the third quarter proved decisive, giving them the early momentum they needed. Game 2 was a different story.
Atlanta escaped with a 101-98 overtime victory, with Angel Reese and Canada scoring 23 points apiece. Head coach Karl Smeskoâs group carried that resilience into Brooklyn. Even when Liberty seized control in the third quarter of Game 3, Atlanta didnât fold.
Their ability to respond to adversity has become a defining part of this postseason run. One more step toward the championship. The Dream are in a familiar position, as they reached the Finals three times before. But 2010, 2011, and 2013 were disappointments. So, 2026 gives the franchise and Angel Reese a chance to help deliver the franchiseâs first title.
The Golden State Valkyries, meanwhile, secured their own Finals berth by eliminating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. The best-of-seven championship series is scheduled to begin on October 17 in San Francisco.
Angel Reese will now face a different challenge against an expansion franchise that has already exceeded expectations in just its second season. Atlantaâs experience and depth will matter, but so will Reeseâs ability to maintain the form she showed against New York.
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The post âYouâre a Winnerâ: Angel Reese Earns Big Praise From 3x NBA Sixth Man of the Year as She Nears Historic Dream With Atlanta appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Angel Reese © X/@WNBAAngel Reese is set to make her WNBA Finals debut after the Atlanta Dream snatched Game 3 and swept the New York Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals. Though the team was without its top scorer and superstar, Allisha Gray, who missed the series due to a finger injury, other starters didnât let the city feel Grayâs absence. Meanwhile, Reeseâs NBA boyfriend, Wendell Carter Jr., was ecstatic on social media.
Reese averaged 20.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the semifinals and scored 22 points and nine rebounds in the third game. Meanwhile, Jordin Canada was the series star, averaging 22.3 ppg and 7.7 apg. She scored a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists as the team won the game, 85-83.
The Orlando Magic center and Reeseâs boyfriend, Carter, shared several posts on his Instagram story, congratulating his partner and the team, which will play in the finals for the first time since 2013. Just after the game finished, Carter posted a clip of Reeseâs postgame interview and wrote:
âTurn me up twin!!!! Finals next!!!â
Screenshot of the story (Image via Instagram/@wendellcarterjr)The Dream will play the finals against the Golden State Valkyries, who swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-0. The matchup between the two elite frontcourts will be on the cards, but a lot will depend on Grayâs availability in the series.
Angel Reese said she manifested the WNBA FinalsAngel Reese was emotional and grateful when she came on camera to express her feelings after the Dreamâs win. She wasnât able to make the postseason with the Chicago Sky but came to Atlanta in the offseason, searching for a better team. And she found it.
After the semifinals win, Reese said:
âI manifested this. When I came to Atlanta, I knew I was there. This team has poured so much into me. We pour so much into each other⊠This is my moment; I am supposed to be here. I thank God for this moment, and Iâm just so thankful.â
Reese and the Dream will now have their eyes locked on the title. They will face an elite Valkyries defense and have to show up on the defensive end to overcome the opponent. Time will tell who prevails in the final showdown.
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libertyKelsey Mitchell tipped off a fresh round of headlines around the worldâs most scrutinized womenâs basketball team.Â
âI have to be selfish,â the high-scoring Indiana Fever guard said this past week in addressing her upcoming free agency. âI think thatâs where I am in my career ⊠what I probably need and whatâs probably best for me. So I have to be selfish in that room. ⊠Iâve only been with one team my entire career, so itâs all kind of like figuring this out. Itâs hard, man.âÂ
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tRY IT NOWMinnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier was a bit more circumspect, while pulling up way short of committing to the franchise in free agency after playing out a notable one-year contract.Â
âI havenât even thought about that,â Collier said in an exit interview free of fireworks for a change. âI can tell you that I love it here. I love the organization. I love my team and everything like that, but I just havenât had the time to give that any thought.âÂ
(A businesswoman enterprising enough to co-found a $650 million startup and the mother of a young child hasnât given any thought to where she wants to work next year, sure, carry on.)Â
Las Vegas Aces gold-medal guard Jackie Young rounds out the top three in the WNBAâs 2027 free-agent class, eligible to begin negotiating seven-figure deals with any of the leagueâs 15 teams starting on Feb. 4.Â
Breanna Stewart gets fouled by Rhyne Howard during Game 3 of the Libertyâs 85-83 season-ending loss to the Dream in the WNBA semifinals on Oct. 9, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Michelle Farsi for NY PostSo while some of their fellow contenders sweat out the status of a prominent unrestricted free agent, that isnât something the Liberty have to worry about, at least.Â
The Liberty â who got swept Friday in the semifinals by the Dream â do not have a significant pending unrestricted free agent on the roster.Â
Veteran wing Rebecca Allen, who signed a one-year, $350,000 contract last winter, has said she will retire from the WNBA at the conclusion of this season.Â
Rhyne Howard (10) puts up a shot between Leonie Fiebich (13) and Jonquel Jones (35) during the Libertyâs season-ending loss to the Dream. Michelle Farsi for NY PostAnneli Maley, functionally the 12th player on the roster since signing a standard contract with the Liberty in September, is also set to be an unrestricted free agent, according to the Her Hoop Stats database.Â
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was playing on an expiring contract to begin the season, but after a protracted saga in which she was dropped from the rotation during failed trade talks, she was waived and finished the year with the Washington Mystics.Â
The Libertyâs Big 3 of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu are each signed to three-year contracts through 2028.Â
Satou Sabally will be entering Year 2 of her free-agent pact as she continues to recover from a midseason concussion.Â
Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner are set to become restricted free agents, and Leonie Fiebich, Pauline Astier, Han Xu and Marine Fauthoux remain under club control.Â
So changes loom for the Liberty â but it wonât be from free-agent departures.
Angel Reese has quieted all the haters and delivered one incredible season that's not over yet for her and the Atlanta Dream. They're headed to the WNBA Finals, and what's more: The 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year spoke her trip to the championship round into existence.
In a postgame interview after the Dream swept the New York Liberty, a tearful Reese started off by saying this: "I manifested this."
She went on to say that she "posted and tweeted 10/10/25 that I was manifesting the Finals and this is my moment. I'm supposed to be here."
Indeed, X (Twitter) had the receipts, and Reese made sure to bring them too. She tweeted after the game "364 DAYS LATER" and retweeted herself. What a mic drop, what a moment for a star who has reached the top of the sport.
Angel Reese on making the WNBA Finals for the first time:
"I manifested this." đ„șâ€ïž pic.twitter.com/DAY00LAQGQ
364 DAYS LATER⊠https://t.co/j0NG7ZxesZ
â Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) October 10, 2026That's how you celebrate a Finals berth and a night you dreamed about nearly a year ago.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: An emotional Angel Reese delivered 3 powerful words after clinching Finals spot
The WNBA has never had more attention on its players. Sophie Cunningham has experienced this firsthand. After all, she has become one of the most popular players due to her antics with the Indiana Fever and her controversial comments.
While she has enjoyed her brand skyrocketing with fame, Cunningham admits that the discussion around womenâs basketball tends to shy away from the actual basketball itself, citing the All-Star voting as an example of why a major aspect of the WNBA has become political.
She even used herself as an example.
Cunningham criticizes WNBA votingCunningham is arguably one of the best shooters in womenâs basketball today and has become an integral part of the Fever, averaging 13.1 points per game this season.
However, she is not a starter, nor is she producing at the level expected of All-Stars. Despite this, she received the fourth-highest number of All-Star votes in Indiana and the 15th overall in the WNBA. Many fans have long criticized the WNBA for leaning on playersâ popularity, something Cunningham actually agrees with.
âThe WNBA media pretty much covers everything but basketball. Sometimes I truly feel, when it comes to voting, and Iâll use me as an example. Iâll sât on myself like whatever. I might be one of the best 3-point shooters in our league, but I should never be like 16th in all-star voting,â she said.
Fan voting has always accounted for 50 percent of the starter selection, with players and the media each accounting for 25 percent. There is still a complete disparity in how the voting is judged.
Cunningham truly believes that the popularity factor has had more influence than the actual statistics and impact in games and the season.
âItâs not really like who the best is. Itâs like who has the most social following or who do people like the most,â she said. âI think the voting stuff is weird, I think itâs very political. The platform, I just donât know how accurate the voting is at times.â
Ultimately. Cunningham is still a respected shooter and veteran, but her brand has exploded for reasons well beyond her on-court production. Her outspoken personality has drawn more attention than that of other players, and that may be one of the problems plaguing the WNBA as it continues to grow.
Basketball before the spectacleThe WNBAâs expansion into culture is one reason the league has become so much more popular. There are more eyes on the WNBA than ever before, and while that might be good for short-term growth, it could cause problems for how the league operates in the future.
Basketball will always be the foundation for the league, but the discussion around it has never been as far as it is now. The biggest question for the WNBA moving forward will be how they can maintain their popularity without sacrificing the players who have worked their whole careers for.
Cunningham has called it out, even though she is one of the main beneficiaries of all the attention. The media and fans will always be drawn to controversy, but maybe itâs time for them to focus more on giving the sportâs true essence the attention it deserves.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesSports writer Jemele Hill was ecstatic for Angel Reese after her brilliant performance in Game 3 to help the Atlanta Dream advance to the WNBA Finals.
The Defensive Player of the Year scored 22 points and grabbed 9 boards, while also being an anchor on defence, blocking two shots against the New York Liberty. Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada also stepped up for the Dream, as they secured an 85-83 win on the night.
Playing in the playoffs for the first time in her career, Reese did not look intimidated and even got into a heated moment with Libertyâs Jonquel Jones early in the game.
After her stellar performance, Hill, who has been a big supporter of Reese, took to X and posted a message for WNBA fans.
Jemele Hill asks WNBA fans to apologise to Angel ReeseReese has been one of the most scrutinised WNBA stars since her arrival in the league. Despite being a former first-round pick, her game has been disrespected by many fans.
Her stint with the Chicago Sky specifically was criticised by many but after moving to Atlanta, things have improved for the 24-year-old.
After her big night against the Liberty, who had championship winners on the roster, Hill posted a message on X.
âLet the apologies be as loud as the disrespect. Whole âlotta people owe Angel Reese an apology,â Hill wrote on her X page.
Reese has been a major part of the Dreamâs run to the WNBA Finals. She has anchored the defence and also been influential in how the offence operates in Atlanta.
Her ability to defend at an elite level and rebound the ball are qualities that are extremely helpful in the playoffs. Now heading into her first WNBA Finals, Reese will be hoping to continue her good form and win her first championship to silence critics who have criticised her ability as a star in the league.
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Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty ImagesItâs not just the officials who are to blame for the New York Liberty timeout incident.
In Game 2 against Atlanta, trailing by three in overtime with 4.3 seconds left, New York launched a desperation full-court shot instead of using a reset timeout to advance the ball. Postgame, Breanna Stewart revealed both officials explicitly told her they were out of timeouts.
While the initial pool report claimed refs never denied them, video surfaced and the WNBA eventually admitted to a major communication breakdown.
And facing an official league inquiry and undeniable off-court distraction, the Liberty couldnât recover, losing Game 3 85â83 to be officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Sophie Cunningham partly blames Liberty for timeout dramaSophie Cunningham called out New Yorkâs bench over that timeout collapse. She laid it right on the coaches, saying even if the refs got it wrong, the staff has to know their own timeout count. In her eyes, leaving Stewie hanging like that was totally unacceptable.
Speaking on the No Hesitation podcast, she said: âI think there definitely needs to be some clarification on the communication with Stewie and the head coach and the refs. You already know how I feel about the refs, but New York, their assistants or whoever has control over the timeouts and normally does that, they have got to make sure that the head coach and everyone knows, like thereâs no excuse there. Thereâs absolutely no excuse.
âAnd so I understand that there could be miscommunications and again Iâm not agreeing with whatâs going on, but New Yorkâs coaching staff has got to take some responsibility for that because that cannot happen. That cannot happen.â
The Liberty bench shouldâve checked with the table to verify their remaining timeouts, but you canât completely blame the players or coaches in the moment. When a referee looks you in the eye and gives you an answer, you naturally trust it as absolute truth without second-guessing them.
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Itâs safe to say the Atlanta Dream made the right decision acquiring Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky.
Prior to the start of the 2026 season, Atlanta traded a pair of first-round picks to Chicago in exchange for Reese. She had a great regular season with the Dream, averaging 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. That being said, sheâs been even more impactful in the postseason, dropping 18.0 points per game for Atlanta.
Well before the Dream added Reese to her roster, she posted this message online: âmanifesting the finals.â That comment was made on October 10, 2025.
Oct 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) talk in the first half during game three of the second round for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesWendell Cruz-Imagn Images.On Friday night, Reese scored a team-high 22 points against the New York Liberty to officially clinch a WNBA Finals berth for the Dream.
âI manifest a lot of things. I think itâs important to speak positive into your life, positive into your team. But this is all God. Iâm just so thankful, and Iâm blessed to be able to be in this situation. A lot of people wish they were here, and Iâm not going to take this moment for granted. Iâm here for a reason. Weâre all here for a reason,â Reese said.
âIt just shows the power of the tongue. Being able to speak things into your life. When you speak positive things in your life, it happens. You manifest big things and big dreams and have those goals and you can do anything you put your mind to.â
364 DAYS LATER⊠https://t.co/j0NG7ZxesZ
â Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) October 10, 2026Job isnât done yet for Atlanta.The Dream will face off against the Golden State Valkyries in the upcoming Finals. They swept the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
When discussing this upcoming matchup, Reese made it clear that just getting to the Finals isnât good enough.
âWeâre definitely happy about where we are right now, but weâre not satisfied,â Reese told reporters.
The WNBA Finals will begin on October 17.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Oct 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.