Atlanta Sweeps New York to Reach WNBA Finals

The Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 85-83 in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals, completing a 3-0 sweep and advancing to the WNBA Finals. Angel Reese scored 22 points for Atlanta, while Sabrina Ionescu had 12 for New York in the elimination game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The contest also featured a heated exchange between Reese and Ionescu after a screen involving Atlanta guard Isobel Borlase in the second quarter. Broadcast footage showed Reese approach Ionescu as the players exchanged words, with Atlanta teammate Rhyne Howard stepping between them. The sequence did not develop into a physical fight. Accounts of the officials’ call on the screen conflict. One describes an offensive foul on Ionescu; another says she was called for a defensive foul. The available reports do not resolve which ruling was made. A broadcast analyst criticized Reese’s reaction and said it warranted a technical foul. Reese was not assessed one for that exchange, according to one account. She later received a technical after a separate confrontation with New York’s Jonquel Jones, that report said.