The Dream finally broke through to the semifinals, while Arike Ogunbowale dropped a playoff-record 45 points and dragged Dallas into a winner-take-all Game 3.
Written By: Sanchez Sideline
Wednesday night's WNBA playoff schedule gave us two teams facing elimination.
One went home.
The other had Arike Ogunbowale.
Atlanta walked into Washington and finished its business, beating the Mystics 93–75 to complete a 2–0 sweep and reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018. A few hours later in Texas, Dallas needed overtime—and one absolutely ridiculous performance from Ogunbowale—to beat Golden State 108–100 and keep its season alive.
Two games.
One sweep.
One Game 3.
And 45 reasons we're going to be talking about Arike for a while.
Dream 93, Mystics 75: Atlanta Finally Gets Out of the First Round
For three straight seasons, Atlanta's postseason ended in the opening round.
Not this time.
The Dream followed their 92–77 Game 1 victory by beating Washington 93–75 on its own floor Wednesday, completing the sweep and sending Atlanta to its first WNBA semifinal appearance since 2018.
And this wasn't Atlanta barely hanging on.
The Dream never trailed.
They led 24–17 after the first quarter and built a 41–28 advantage late in the second before Washington closed the half on a 7–0 run.
The Mystics weren't finished, either.
Washington eventually ripped off a 14–2 run and pulled within 65–62 early in the fourth quarter.
Three points.
Home crowd alive.
Season on the line.
This was the moment Atlanta could've tightened up.
Instead?
The Dream scored the next 13 points.
That's how you close a playoff series.
Jordin Canada Picked the Perfect Time to Take Over
Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 22 points, but when the game needed somebody to slam the door, Jordin Canada grabbed the handle.
Canada finished with:
19 points. 11 assists. 7 rebounds.
And 13 of those 19 points came in the fourth quarter.
When Washington cut Atlanta's lead to three, Canada helped turn the game right back around.
Back-to-back threes.
Then another jumper.
Suddenly the Mystics weren't thinking about completing a comeback anymore.
They were looking at 89–70 with less than three minutes remaining.
That's veteran point-guard behavior.
Oh, y'all thought this was getting interesting?
No.
Atlanta also got 15 points apiece from Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese, while Naz Hillmon added 10. Howard fouled out with 6:03 remaining, but by then Atlanta had enough answers elsewhere.
Washington Won the Rebounding Battle — and Lost the Game
This series had a recurring theme.
Washington could rebound.
Washington could not stop giving Atlanta the basketball.
The Mystics outrebounded the Dream 42–27 Wednesday.
That's a 15-rebound advantage.
Normally, you would feel pretty good about that.
Then comes the other number:
19 turnovers.
Atlanta committed only eight.
The Dream turned Washington's giveaways into 23 points, while the Mystics managed only eight points off Atlanta turnovers.
There it is.
Washington also committed 11 of those turnovers in the first half alone.
You can dominate the glass all you want.
If you're handing the other team extra possessions all night, eventually somebody is going to send you home.
Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen Gave Washington Something to Build Around
The Mystics' season is over, but their young core gave Washington plenty of reasons to believe this won't be a one-and-done playoff appearance.
Sonia Citron scored 25 points, leading Washington.
Kiki Iriafen finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds and became the first player in Mystics history to record a first-half double-double in a playoff game.
That's the part Washington should carry into the offseason.
The Mystics made the postseason.
Their young players experienced elimination basketball.
Now they know exactly how small the margin becomes once the playoffs arrive.
Sanchez Sideline Take
Atlanta didn't just win a series.
The Dream finally removed a postseason monkey that had been sitting on their backs for years.
Three straight first-round exits.
Done.
And now look who's waiting.
New York.
The No. 8 Liberty just knocked out No. 1 Minnesota.
Atlanta just swept Washington.
That semifinal has officially earned our attention.
Wings 108, Valkyries 100 OT: ARIKE. THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE SECTION.
Dallas was down 1–0.
Facing elimination.
Golden State had already beaten the Wings 104–80 in Game 1.
And Dallas entered the fourth quarter Wednesday trailing again.
So naturally, Arike Ogunbowale decided to break a WNBA playoff record.
Ogunbowale scored 45 points, the most ever in a WNBA playoff game, as Dallas survived Golden State 108–100 in overtime to tie the series 1–1.
Forty-five.
In an elimination game.
And somehow even that doesn't fully explain how ridiculous her night was.
Dallas Was Four Seconds From Going Home
Late in regulation, Golden State led by three.
Dallas had the basketball.
Season basically hanging from the rim.
There were 4.1 seconds remaining when Ogunbowale hit a falling-away three-pointer to tie the game at 93–93.
Because apparently a normal three wasn't dramatic enough.
Golden State had one final opportunity, but after a foul call involving Gabby Williams and Aziaha James was overturned on review, the game went to overtime.
At that point?
Dallas wasn't wasting the second life.
The Wings took over in overtime and finished off the 108–100 win.
Season saved.
Flight to San Francisco booked.
Game 3 loading.
This Wasn't Just a Big Arike Game — It Was THE Game
Ogunbowale's 45 points weren't simply a career high.
They established a new WNBA postseason single-game scoring record.
And afterward, even she put the accomplishment where it belonged.
The record was special.
Winning mattered more.
That's exactly the mentality Dallas needed because this wasn't a night for somebody to have a pretty stat line in a loss.
The Wings' season was over if they lost.
Somebody had to take the game.
Arike took it.
Dallas Had to Fight Its Way Into This One
Golden State started hot, making four of its first six three-point attempts and jumping ahead 21–13.
Dallas answered with an 8–0 run.
Then Golden State punched back.
Then Dallas punched back again.
By halftime, the Wings had turned the game around and led 50–45, with Alysha Clark and Aziaha James helping provide the spark while Odyssey Sims' late second-quarter layup gave Dallas its first lead.
Golden State regained control during the third.
Then the fourth became a star fight.
Gabby Williams kept creating problems for Dallas.
Ogunbowale kept answering.
Back and forth.
Possession after possession.
Until Arike hit the shot that changed the entire series.
Sanchez Sideline Take
Game 1:
Golden State wins by 24.
Game 2:
Dallas wins in overtime.
Welcome to playoff basketball.
And this is exactly why a short series can get dangerous.
Golden State looked completely in control after Sunday.
One historic Ogunbowale performance later?
Winner take all.
One Team Advances. One Series Gets Nasty.
Atlanta can finally breathe.
Dallas absolutely cannot.
The Dream handled their business in two games and now get time to prepare for a New York team that just pulled off a historic 8-over-1 upset.
Dallas and Golden State?
They get Game 3 Friday in San Francisco.
No series lead.
No safety net.
No “we'll get them next time.”
Win and advance.
Lose and go home.
And after watching Arike Ogunbowale score 45 points with Dallas' season hanging in the balance?
Golden State might want to start the defensive meeting early.
Sanchez Sideline Final Word
Wednesday gave us two different versions of playoff pressure.
Atlanta showed what happens when a team stays composed. Washington cut the lead to three, and instead of panicking, the Dream responded with 13 straight points and ended the series.
Dallas showed us something else.
Sometimes composure isn't enough.
Sometimes you need somebody willing to look at elimination and say:
Not tonight.
Arike Ogunbowale did exactly that.
Forty-five points.
A playoff record.
A game-tying three with 4.1 seconds remaining.
And most importantly:
Dallas is still playing basketball.
That's October basketball.
Sports. Opinion. No Filter.
Sanchez Sideline.