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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Atlanta Dream games: Allisha Gray, Brittney Griner lead WNBA 2025 sleeper squad
While the Hawks and Falcons are in offseason mode and the Braves have stumbled well below .500, locals should lock in with the upstart Atlanta Dream. Star additions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones have remade the interior defense. Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard are balling around the perimeter. And the 2025 team has won eight of its first dozen games, a huge relief after six consecutive losing seasons. Welcome to Atlanta, where the players play. Advertisement Here's the thing, though … tracking WNBA broadcast rotations, streaming changes and those maddening blackout rules can undercut the impeccable vibes. Accordingly, we'll use this space to review the remaining national TV schedule and explain how to access the regional games. First, make sure to follow the Dream and the WNBA on . Senior writer Chantel Jennings is an integral voice in women's basketball. Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman each cover the W with passion, from power rankings and bench observations to in-depth feature reporting on key players. How to stream Atlanta Dream broadcasts in market Fubo (try for free) Fubo is a cable-cutting streaming platform that offers local and national channels, along with add-on sports packages. Any regional game on Gray Media can be streamed with Fubo, along with the national ones on ESPN, ABC, CBS, ION and NBA TV. Advertisement What you need to watch these games: the 'pro' plan is $84.99 per month, with an additional charge for 4K Ultra HD WPCH/PSN (Gray Media) Every team has a regional sports network, or an RSN, that carries local matchups. Aside from the nationally televised action, all Dream games are on WPCH (Peachtree TV) and PSN (Peachtree Sports Network). Angel Gray is back on play-by-play for her fifth straight season. She was previously the voice of the Los Angeles Sparks and called some prime-time women's hoops on ESPN. Gray hails from Stone Mountain, Ga., approximately 25 miles from the team's College Park venue and even closer to State Farm Arena in the city proper. Tabitha Turner-Wilkins, a former four-year letterer at Georgia Tech, holds down color commentary and analysis. The effervescent Autumn Johnson reports back to them from the sidelines. Advertisement What you need to watch these games: Fubo, DirecTV Stream (starting at $84.99 monthly), or YouTube TV (starting at $82.99 monthly) How to watch the regional broadcasts on cable or satellite Peachtree is available on Dish Network and DirecTV as channel 17. Xfinity and Spectrum carry it as channel 7. Better still, these games can be watched free over the air at 17.1 (WPCH) and 17.2 (PSN). What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna or a cable provider with WPCH / PSN Remaining regional games: June 24 at Dallas Wings July 3 vs. Seattle Storm July 7 vs. Golden State Valkyries July 13 at New York Liberty Advertisement July 16 at Chicago Sky July 29 vs. Golden State Valkyries Aug. 21 vs. Minnesota Lynx Sept. 1 at Connecticut Sun Sept. 3 vs. Los Angeles Sparks Sept. 5 vs. Los Angeles Sparks Sept. 8 vs. Connecticut Sun Sept. 10 at Connecticut Sun How to stream out-of-market games WNBA League Pass is the painless answer for all Dream fans outside of the designated Atlanta territory. A subscription covers every out-of-market regional broadcast for the regular season. Blackout restrictions are still in effect (sadly), but local fans can replay a game the following day. Nationally televised matchups are also blacked out on the app. Advertisement What you need to watch these games: WNBA League Pass ($12.99/month or $34.99 for the 2025 season) How to watch the national TV games ESPN Ryan Ruocco is the primary play-by-play anchor for ESPN's WNBA programming. His call is punchy and controlled, and his love for the game bleeds through the screen. Ruocco has sharpened his product with the MLB's New York Yankees and the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, and he's narrated some of the modern classics in women's March Madness. His signature refrain, 'you bet!,' gets Caitlin Clark fired up. UConn legend Rebecca Lobo does color commentary. She played center for the Huskies during their first perfect season and 1995 national title crowning. The Hall of Famer suited up for the inaugural New York Liberty campaign in 1997 and played for the Connecticut Sun, plus the now-defunct Houston Comets and Springfield Spirit. Holly Rowe is the lead sideline reporter; she talks to players and coaches after the final buzzer. Advertisement The network's second team features Pam Ward, LaChina Robinson and the Dream's own Angel Gray. Hello again, fateful friend! Some games will be broadcast on ESPN3, a live streaming platform within ESPN's digital products (the app, the website, etc.). What you need to watch these games: a TV plan with ESPN or an ESPN+ standalone subscription, which includes ABC games (starting at $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually) Dream games on ESPN (and ESPN+): June 22 vs. Chicago Sky (ESPN3) June 29 vs. New York Liberty (ESPN3) July 22 at Las Vegas Aces July 30 at Dallas Wings (ESPN3) Aug. 3 vs. Washington Mystics (ESPN3) Advertisement Aug. 13 at Seattle Storm (ESPN3) ABC There are a record 13 regular-season WNBA games on ABC this season, plus the 2025 All-Star Game. Conference finals and Finals play will be split between ABC and ESPN, which share the same ownership in Disney. The aforementioned ESPN talents are on the mic here, too. The ABC/ESPN pregame programming is called 'WNBA Countdown,' and it's a thoroughly radiant affair. Women's hoops expert Elle Duncan is the host. Alongside her is Chiney Ogwumike, the two-time WNBA All-Star who played for Connecticut and Los Angeles. It'll be especially fun when ABC or ESPN gets a Seattle game this summer — Chiney's sister, Nneka, now plays for the Storm after a decorated career with the Sparks. Advertisement Rounding out the 'big three' is Andraya Carter. She shone during the 2024 NCAA championship broadcast and was among the last players to sign with Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Other recurring personalities are Malika Andrews (host of 'NBA Today'), Monica McNutt (studio for the NBA's New York Knicks) and Carolyn Peck (Hall of Fame coach with a national title at Purdue). What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna or a TV/streaming plan that includes ABC Dream games on ABC (and ESPN+): none remaining CBS/CBS Sports Network For the second straight year, CBS is showing eight regular-season WNBA matchups. This channel's 2024 rookie duel between Caitlin Clark's Fever and Angel Reese's Sky was the league's most-watched game in 23 years. CBS Sports will have an additional dozen broadcasts. Commentators include Lisa Byington (voice of the Sky and the Milwaukee Bucks) and Jordan Kent (a three-sport collegiate athlete who played in the NFL and previously did play-by-play for the Portland Trail Blazers). Advertisement What you need to watch these games: a TV or streaming plan with CBS or a Paramount+ standalone subscription (starting at $7.99/month) Dream games on CBS/CBS Sports Network: July 23 at Phoenix Mercury (CBSSN) Aug. 23 vs. New York Liberty ION The Scripps network features Friday night doubleheaders to kick off each summer weekend. ION also has a WNBA studio show set in Atlanta. Cable vet Larry Smith is the host, and Peachtree reporter Autumn Johnson shows up here as well, alongside fellow analyst Meghan McKeown Wallace. The Dream have a lot of ION broadcasts coming up, and fittingly, most of them are at home. Advertisement What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna or a TV/streaming plan that includes ION through ABC Dream games on ION: June 20 vs. Washington Mystics June 27 vs. Minnesota Lynx July 11 at Indiana Fever Aug. 1 vs. Phoenix Mercury Aug. 15 vs. Seattle Storm (Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.) Aug. 29 vs. Dallas Wings Sept. 5 vs. Los Angeles Sparks Prime Video Amazon's streaming services host several WNBA broadcasts as it expands into the sports multiverse. Prime Video also has the July 1 final of the in-season Commissioner's Cup. What you need to watch these games: an Amazon Prime subscription (which starts at $14.99 per month or $139 annually) Advertisement Dream games on Prime Video: Aug. 7 at Chicago Sky NBA TV In a cross-promotion, the NBA's in-house channel simulcasts WNBA showcases throughout 2025. What you need to watch these games: a TV/streaming plan with NBA TV or WNBA League Pass Dream games on NBA TV: July 27 at Minnesota Lynx Aug. 10 at Phoenix Mercury Aug. 17 at Golden State Valkyries Aug. 19 at Las Vegas Aces Aug. 27 vs. Las Vegas Aces Franchise leaderboard Minutes — Angel McCoughtry with 8,235 Points — Angel McCoughtry with 5,468 Rebounds — Sancho Lyttle with 1,877 Assists — Angel McCoughtry with 860 Steals — Angel McCoughtry with 597 Blocks — Elizabeth Williams with 331 Advertisement Made 3s — Tiffany Hayes with 325 Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Atlanta Dream, WNBA, Sports Betting, Fubo Partnership 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Don't count out Atlanta Dream, even after Commissioner's Cup loss to Liberty
NEW YORK — Unlike the WNBA's other 12 head coaches, Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko doesn't put together practice plans. He uses another phrase in referring to the Dream's workouts. He crafts what he calls 'progress plans.' The difference might be a matter of semantics to some, but it reflects the intentionality in Smesko's approach. Atlanta's first-year coach views workouts as an opportunity for Dream players to get better. So why not be specific in their purpose and name them accordingly? The goal is to progress after all. Each session has value. Advertisement But games are currently Atlanta's best teacher. No contest has provided more lessons than the one the Dream played Tuesday night against the New York Liberty. Atlanta led by 17 points with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter, silencing a Barclays Center crowd of more than 15,000 fans eager for anything to cheer about. With a win, the Dream (8-4) would have advanced to the Commissioner's Cup championship and gotten off to their best start to a season since 2014. But then? 'We just gave it away,' Dream star Rhyne Howard said. New York blitzed Atlanta to close the third quarter, and continued its push to open the fourth. After a 24-8 Liberty run, the Dream held just a one-point lead with 5:27 remaining. Their lead officially evaporated 91 seconds later. The Liberty pulled ahead with 1:56 left and wouldn't do what the Dream did, and give anything away. New York, instead, did what title-winning teams do. The final margin: Liberty 86, Dream 81. Advertisement 'When you're playing a championship-level team on the road, you just gotta keep going at them,' Smesko said. 'You're not trying to hold on. You got to go win the game.' Add that to the list of Tuesday's lessons for the Dream, who have a first-year WNBA coach, revamped roster (with offseason acquisitions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones highlighting the group), and an overhauled style of play. Smesko said pregame Tuesday was his group's 'ultimate test,' at least so far. For a while, the Dream looked like they would pass with little drama involved. Yet, the result eventually reinforced that while Atlanta can compete with the WNBA's top teams, there is still much for it to learn to truly leap into the league's upper echelon. Advertisement 'I think we showed what we're capable of,' Smesko said. 'Now can we do it for four quarters and finish these games off?' Of course, there are still plenty of positives worth drawing from, coming out of Tuesday and Atlanta's first dozen games of the season more broadly. After finishing last season 12th in offensive rating, the Dream are much-improved on offense under Smesko — no surprise, considering his reputation as an offensive wizard over two-plus decades at Florida Gulf Coast — and are third in points per 100 possessions. Star guard Allisha Gray has been in career-best form and averaged 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in May. For her efforts, she earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month, and on Tuesday became the first Atlanta player since 2018 to win multiple Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards. 'She's been aggressive. She's been smart. She's been very good on both ends of the floor,' Smesko said before Tuesday's loss. 'She's just been one of the best players in the league.' Advertisement It's hard to argue with his claim, even after Gray's 14-point, five-assist performance on 5-of-12 shooting from the field in Atlanta's defeat. Gray, a two-time All-Star guard, isn't alone as an impact player. Jones opened the season with four consecutive double-doubles, tying a franchise record. Her frontcourt partner Griner climbed to second on the WNBA's all-time blocks list. Howard has not only set a franchise record with nine 3s in a game, but she also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career 3s. After recording nine assists against the Liberty and playing all but 47 seconds against the Liberty, Howard already has more nine-plus assist games (two) this season than she had in her prior three years (one). Despite their second-half struggles against New York, the Dream have gotten used to pummeling opponents in the third quarter and held a plus-33.1 net rating in the period entering Tuesday's action. That's all why the sting of their most recent loss isn't cause for grave concern. Advertisement 'I think we have the potential to be one of the best teams in the league if we have the right attitude. These setbacks are gonna happen,' Smesko said. After three first-half turnovers, the Dream had 10 in the second half, which led to New York getting out in transition. Smesko said that Atlanta's ball movement got sticky in the final 14 minutes. The Dream's pace slowed and shots got tougher (they shot 29.4 percent in the fourth quarter compared to 45 percent for the Liberty). New York center Jonquel Jones scored all 10 of her points in the second half, and guard Sabrina Ionescu became the first player this season to score 30 points in consecutive games. She finished with a game-high 34 points. Smesko said New York was more aggressive in their ball-screen defense down the stretch. For that, he took responsibility for not coming up with better answers. Howard tossed out other lessons, too. Advertisement 'The little details and things (matter), crashing the boards and getting rebounds or running the plays correctly, just communication things,' said Howard, who finished with 13 points and four turnovers. 'Making sure that we're taking advantage of everything that they're giving us.' Some of those fixes might sound simple. But for the Dream, playing in high-leverage games is still a relatively new experience. Atlanta made the postseason in each of the past two years, but it hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. Winning has always been the goal, but hosting a playoff round in September hasn't looked as achievable in recent seasons as it does this June. Smesko is there to help change that. General manager Dan Padover calls him a 'teacher,' first and foremost. Forward Naz Hillmon said, 'All coaches think that they're really big on teaching but he breaks every single thing down, which I think is just so important.' Griner added: 'Instead of just telling us what to do, he's like, 'Wait, do you actually understand why we're doing it?' He makes sure the why is clear.' Advertisement That approach is partly why Tuesday was not a significant cause for concern and instead a reminder of what could be. 'We know what happened in the past, and we want to break that,' Griner said. The Dream will look to continue making strides. That's the plan, after all. 'We're gonna have to figure out a way to get better,' Smesko said. 'But at the same time, I recognize how much progress we've already made.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Atlanta Dream, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Don't count out Atlanta Dream, even after Commissioner's Cup loss to Liberty
NEW YORK — Unlike the WNBA's other 12 head coaches, Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko doesn't put together practice plans. He uses another phrase in referring to the Dream's workouts. He crafts what he calls 'progress plans.' The difference might be a matter of semantics to some, but it reflects the intentionality in Smesko's approach. Atlanta's first-year coach views workouts as an opportunity for Dream players to get better. So why not be specific in their purpose and name them accordingly? The goal is to progress after all. Each session has value. Advertisement But games are currently Atlanta's best teacher. No contest has provided more lessons than the one the Dream played Tuesday night against the New York Liberty. Atlanta led by 17 points with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter, silencing a Barclays Center crowd of more than 15,000 fans eager for anything to cheer about. With a win, the Dream (8-4) would have advanced to the Commissioner's Cup championship and gotten off to their best start to a season since 2014. But then? 'We just gave it away,' Dream star Rhyne Howard said. New York blitzed Atlanta to close the third quarter, and continued its push to open the fourth. After a 24-8 Liberty run, the Dream held just a one-point lead with 5:27 remaining. Their lead officially evaporated 91 seconds later. The Liberty pulled ahead with 1:56 left and wouldn't do what the Dream did, and give anything away. New York, instead, did what title-winning teams do. The final margin: Liberty 86, Dream 81. 'When you're playing a championship-level team on the road, you just gotta keep going at them,' Smesko said. 'You're not trying to hold on. You got to go win the game.' Easy flow to the RIM!! 🔥@Graytness_15 to the WNBA All-Star Game! 🔗: #DoItForTheDream — Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 17, 2025 Add that to the list of Tuesday's lessons for the Dream, who have a first-coach, revamped roster (with offseason acquisitions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones highlighting the group), and an overhauled style of play. Smesko said pregame Tuesday was his group's 'ultimate test,' at least so far. For a while, the Dream looked like they would pass with little drama involved. Yet, the result eventually reinforced that while Atlanta can compete with the WNBA's top teams, there is still much for it to learn to truly leap into the league's upper echelon. Advertisement 'I think we showed what we're capable of,' Smesko said. 'Now can we do it for four quarters and finish these games off?' Of course, there remains plenty of positives worth drawing from, both coming out of Tuesday and Atlanta's first dozen games of the season more broadly. After finishing last season 12th in offensive rating, the Dream are much-improved on offense under Smesko — no surprise, considering his reputation as an offensive wizard over two-plus decades at Florida Gulf Coast — and are third in points per 100 possessions. Star guard Allisha Gray has been in career-best form and averaged 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in May. For her efforts, she earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month, and on Tuesday became the first Atlanta player since 2018 to win multiple Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards. 'She's been aggressive. She's been smart. She's been very good on both ends of the floor,' Smesko said before Tuesday's loss. 'She's just been one of the best players in the league.' It's hard to argue with his claim, even after Gray's 14-point, five-assist performance on 5-of-12 shooting from the field in Atlanta's defeat. Gray, a two-time All-Star guard, isn't alone as an impact player. Jones opened the season with four consecutive double-doubles, tying a franchise record. Her frontcourt partner, Griner climbed to second on the WNBA's all-time blocks list. Howard has not only set a franchise record with nine 3s in a game, but she also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career 3s. After recording nine assists against the Liberty and playing all but 47 seconds against the Liberty, Howard already has more nine-plus assist games (two) this season than she had in her prior three years (one). Despite their second-half struggles against New York, the Dream have gotten used to pummeling opponents in the third quarter and held a plus-33.1 net rating in the period entering Tuesday's action. Advertisement That's all why the sting of their most recent loss isn't cause for grave concern. 'I think we have the potential to be one of the best teams in the league if we have the right attitude. These setbacks are gonna happen,' Smesko said. After three first-half turnovers, the Dream had 10 in the second half, which led to New York getting out in transition. Smesko said that Atlanta's ball-movement got sticky in the final 14 minutes. The Dream's pace slowed and shots got tougher (they shot 29.4 percent in the fourth quarter compared to 45 percent for the Liberty.) New York center Jonquel Jones scored all 10 of her points in the second half, and guard Sabrina Ionescu became the first player this season to score 30 points in consecutive games. She finished with a game-high 34 points. Smesko said New York was more aggressive in their ball-screen defense down the stretch. For that, he took responsibility for not coming up with better answers. Howard tossed out other lessons, too. 'The little details and things (matter), crashing the boards and getting rebounds or running the plays correctly, just communication things,' said Howard, who finished with 13 points and four turnovers. 'Making sure that we're taking advantage of everything that they're giving us.' Some of those fixes might sound simple. But for the Dream, playing in high-leverage games is still a relatively new experience. Atlanta made the postseason in each of the past two years, but it hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. Winning has always been the goal, but hosting a playoff round in September hasn't looked as achievable in recent seasons as it does this June. Smesko is there to help change that. General manager Dan Padover calls him a 'teacher,' first and foremost. Forward Naz Hillmon said: 'All coaches think that they're really big on teaching but he breaks every single thing down, which I think is just so important.' Advertisement Griner added: 'Instead of just telling us what to do, he's like, 'Wait, do you actually understand why we're doing it?' He makes sure the why is clear.' That approach is partly why Tuesday was not a significant cause for concern and instead a reminder of what could be. 'We know what happened in the past, and we want to break that,' Griner said. The Dream will look to continue making strides. That's the plan, after all. 'We're gonna have to figure out a way to get better,' Smesko said. 'But at the same time, I recognize how much progress we've already made.'
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Atlanta Dream off to hot start under new coach Karl Smesko and play of Allisha Gray
NEW YORK (AP) — The Atlanta Dream made a lot of moves in the offseason, hiring Karl Smesko from Florida Gulf Coast and bringing in Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones to complement Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. So far the moves have paid off as the Dream have the third best record in the league behind Minnesota and New York. Atlanta (8-3) is off to one of the franchise's best marks through 11 games since coming into the league as an expansion team in 2008. The 2016 team also won eight of its first 11 games but then went on to drop its next six games. Gray has flourished in Smesko's system, shooting a career-high 51% from the field including 42% from behind the 3-point line. She earned the league's Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May. 'I think it's the offense and just finding my shots,' Gray said. 'I feel like Karl puts in an offense and the way he pays attention to the details and really helps me. Tells me if I'm open shoot the ball. Instills that confidence in me, that's been a big part of my success.' Griner came to the team as a free agent after spending the first 11 seasons with Phoenix after the Mercury drafted her No. 1 in 2013. With so much talent around her she doesn't feel like she has to shoulder the load every night for the Dream to win. In a 33-point victory over Washington on Sunday, she took just four shots. The game before, a rout of Chicago, the 6-foot-8 star took only three shot attempts. 'Before you know if I only took three shots in the game it's a loss. Here you look up and we're beating a team by 25,' she said at practice Monday. 'It just takes so much pressure off of me.' Power poll rankings New York and Minnesota both suffered their first losses of the season last week and the Lynx passed the Liberty for the top spot in the poll. Atlanta moved up to third with Phoenix and Seattle the next two. Indiana was sixth with Golden State behind them. Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington were next. Chicago, Connecticut and Dallas rounded out the poll. Paint the line orange The WNBA launched a new initiative last week aiming to bring the women's professional game closer to communities by painting the official WNBA 3-point line on park basketball courts across the country. It was debuted in New York on Thursday at a park in Brooklyn. 'I'm excited about what this initiative means in terms of access and representation,' said WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin, who grew up in New York. 'I think it's just further evidence of the way that we want to be able to connect with young girls who are inspired by the WNBA.' Player of the week Gray earned Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. The Dream wing averaged 23.3 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists to help the team go 3-0 on the week. Other players receiving consideration were Napheesa Collier of Minnesota, Sabrina Ionescu of New York, Caitlin Clark of Indiana and Satou Sabally of Phoenix. Game of the week Indiana at Las Vegas, Sunday. With Clark back in the lineup, the Fever continue a western trip in Las Vegas. It's unclear if A'ja Wilson will be back for the game as the Aces' star is in concussion protocol. ___ AP WNBA:
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch Dream at Liberty: Atlanta seeks Commissioner's Cup final vs. reigning champs
We are a quarter of the way through the WNBA's most anticipated season to date, and no team is exceeding expectations more so than the Atlanta Dream. After going 15-25 in 2024, they hit the week with an 8-3 record and top-three ratings on both offense and defense. This early feel-good development can morph into a league-wide warning shot on Tuesday — a road win against the powerhouse New York Liberty would send ATL to next month's Commissioner's Cup final. The seafoam squad should be motivated to quell all that, having just suffered its first loss of 2025. Advertisement Atlanta is third in points per game despite playing at the 11th-slowest pace. It also leads the league in 3s attempted per game and 3s allowed, forming something of the consummate modern basketball outfit. Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones patrol the paint, while Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray let it fly along the outside. Gray typifies the Dream's unlikely ascent. She's averaged 13.4 points across nine pro seasons but is up to a career-best 21 this year on 51.4/41.8 shooting splits, putting her well on track to earn her third straight All-Star nod. Gray also has more win shares than anyone else in the W and only trails three perennial MVP candidates (Napheesa Collier, A'ja Wilson and New York's Breanna Stewart) in player efficiency rating. It's a downright stunning improvement in her age-30 season. Howard, meanwhile, tied a WNBA record with nine treys on Friday night. She dropped 36 points in an 18-point victory over the Chicago Sky, bending around ball screens and showing off her blistering release. It was the second of Atlanta's three consecutive blowout wins. Griner passed Lisa Leslie in career blocks on Friday, too. Come Tuesday, she takes on a truly elite interior presence in Stewart. New York should find ample motivation on its grayscale court, where it can avenge its first stumble of the year. The Liberty looked overwhelmed by Caitlin Clark and the Fever on Saturday, losing 102-88, though 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones was shelved by a sprained ankle. Even if Jones can't go in this matchup, New York is handily favored to take care of business. The hosts have the best scoring offense and defense – both by sizable margins – and they generate turnovers without selling out or breaking much of a collective sweat. If the Dream can triumph in Brooklyn, they will represent the Eastern Conference in July 1's Cup championship. If not, Clark and the Fever can secure their spot by beating the hapless Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. If Indiana manages to lose as well, New York will compete in the final for the third consecutive year. Advertisement Best player to wear both jerseys: Tina Charles. She had three straight first-team All-WNBA nods for New York and became the league's No. 2 all-time scorer during last year's Atlanta stint. Streaming, betting and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Brittney Griner: Paras Griffin / Getty Images)
