Angel Reese Comes Up Clutch To Hand Breanna Stewart’s Liberty 2nd Straight Semifinal Loss

Angel Reese powered Atlanta Dream to the brink of WNBA finals.

Angel Reese Comes Up Clutch To Hand Breanna Stewart’s Liberty 2nd Straight Semifinal Loss

Angel Reese and Breanna Stewart (Image credits - Bleacher Report)

After sweeping the Washington Mystics in the first round, Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream earned an impressive Game 1 win over the New York Liberty in the Semifinals. Before heading on the road for Game 3, they looked to protect their home-court advantage.

In arguably the best game of the playoffs so far, the Dream recorded a 101-98 overtime victory over Breanna Stewart and the Liberty at the State Farm Arena on Wednesday night. The win saw them extend their postseason winning streak to five games, and they are now just one win away from a spot in the WNBA Finals.

After an all-round display in Game 1, Reese was at her dominant best once again and even came up clutch in their overtime win in Game 2. In 39 minutes, she scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked two shots. She was efficient from the field as well, making eight of her 16 field goal attempts. The power forward scored six of her team’s 13 points in overtime.

Angel Reese is enjoying her best individual season this year. In the regular season, she averaged 16.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in 43 appearances. She broke several records throughout the 2026 WNBA campaign and won her first Defensive Player of the Year award.

Drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2024, Reese was traded to the Dream in the summer. While she may be playing in her first-ever playoffs this year, she has shown no signs of slowing and has carried over her regular season form into the postseason.

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Fans react to Angel Reese powering the Dream to a 2-0 lead over Liberty

The Liberty and Dream battled in a game that included 17 lead changes and eight ties. Angel Reese stepped up when the team needed her most, nailing a pair of clutch free throws to extend her team’s lead to three with five seconds remaining.

After her impressive performance on Wednesday, fans buzzed across social media.

Reese has often been on the receiving end of criticism ever since she stepped into the WNBA. However, her performances in Game 2 have everyone praising her as she remains on course for her first ring.

Breanna Stewart’s spectacular performance goes in vain

Breanna Stewart and the Liberty pulled off the biggest upset of the postseason this season, eliminating table-toppers Minnesota Lynx in the first round. Not only did they knock out the Lynx, but it was also the manner in which they did it that surprised the WNBA world.

Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart (Image credits – Yahoo Sports)

After a passive performance in Game 1, Breanna Stewart reminded everyone why she is a three-time champion and two-time Finals MVP in Game 2. She was aggressive and red hot from tip-off and scored 25 points in the first half.

While she missed a desperation attempt on the final play in overtime, she ended her night with a game-high 35 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. There was no doubt that she was the best player on the court in Game 2 but she did not receive much help from her teammates except for Jonquel Jones and Marine Fauthoux.

The Liberty have their backs against the wall as their season is on the line. They have a huge mountain to climb as no WNBA team has ever come back from a 0–2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series in league history. However, they will be playing their next two games in New York and will be counting on their home support.

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