By Milton Kirby | College Park, GA| June 12, 2026

The Atlanta Dream saw Angel Reese post a season-high scoring performance and Rhyne Howard continue her climb through the franchise record book, but it was not enough to overcome the defending WNBA champions Thursday night.

The New York Liberty used a dominant shooting display and a commanding advantage on the boards to defeat the Dream 104-90 at Gateway Center Arena, dealing Atlanta a significant blow in its quest to reach the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup championship game.

The loss dropped Atlanta to 3-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play and likely ended its hopes of advancing to the June 30 final. New York improved to 4-0 in tournament competition and remains in control of its path to the championship game.

“We’re still a really good team,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “New York’s a really good team, too.”

Atlanta entered the game needing a victory to keep pressure on the unbeaten Liberty, but New York’s offense proved difficult to contain throughout the night.

The Liberty shot 54 percent from the field and connected on 16 of 31 three-point attempts, including several deep shots that shifted momentum at critical moments. New York also dominated the glass, outrebounding Atlanta 40-24.

“They hit every shot,” Reese said. “When you hit 50 percent from three and 50 percent from the field it makes it tougher to win.”

Despite the defeat, the night featured several milestones for Howard and a breakout scoring effort from Reese.

Howard became the youngest player in WNBA history to make 400 career three-pointers when she connected from beyond the arc in the opening quarter. The 26-year-old reached the milestone in just 146 career games, the fastest pace in league history.

Later in the game, Howard scored her 20th point of the evening to move into fourth place on the Dream’s all-time scoring list with 2,528 career points, passing franchise great Erika de Souza.

Howard finished with 24 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals while making five three-pointers.

Reese delivered one of the strongest offensive performances of her young career, scoring a season-high 25 points while adding nine rebounds and three assists. The total marked the second-highest scoring game of her WNBA career.

Still, the standout rookie focused on the result rather than the statistics.

“I really wanted this one bad for the Commissioner’s Cup,” Reese said. “Career highs don’t matter when you lose.”

Allisha Gray added 18 points for Atlanta, while Jordin Canada contributed seven assists and two steals.

The Dream opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run and briefly took a 29-23 lead. Atlanta managed to stay within striking distance despite being heavily outrebounded in the first half.

The momentum shifted just before halftime when New York’s Marine Johannes drilled a deep three-pointer and teammate Pauline Astier followed with a remarkable 53-foot shot at the buzzer, helping the Liberty take a seven-point advantage into the locker room.

“We’d make a run, and they’re making a couple tough, tough threes, and these things start to add up,” Smesko said. “You have to try and overcome them, but at some point it becomes too much.”

• Atlanta’s all-time record against New York fell to 25-43 overall and 13-22 at home.
• The Dream remains 3-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play, with $11,000 raised for The King Center through the tournament.
• Howard became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 400 career three-pointers.
• Reese’s 25 points established a season high and marked the second-highest scoring game of her career.
• Howard’s 2,528 career points moved her into fourth place on the Dream’s all-time scoring list.

The Liberty effectively decided the game in the third quarter.

New York connected on six of its first eight three-point attempts in the period and used a 16-3 run to build an 80-62 lead. Satou Sabally knocked down consecutive three-pointers during the surge as Atlanta struggled to match New York’s shooting touch.

The Dream attempted one final push early in the fourth quarter.

Gray scored four quick points and a Canada steal led to what appeared to be a momentum-building three-point play opportunity for Reese. However, after a review, officials ruled Reese had committed a foul and assessed her a technical foul following the play. The basket was removed and New York’s Breanna Stewart converted a free throw to extend the Liberty’s lead.

“I felt like we were onto something,” Smesko said. “That was definitely a setback. You’ve just got to try to make another run, and we never really got to make another serious push at it.”

Breanna Stewart and Sabally led the Liberty with 19 points each. Stewart also dominated the boards with 19 rebounds.

The Dream’s starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Naz Hillmon and Reese entered the game with an 8-3 record when starting together and again showed flashes of its potential. However, Atlanta’s struggles from the free-throw line, where it converted just 15 of 27 attempts, and New York’s hot shooting proved too much to overcome.

The loss also snapped Reese’s streak of five consecutive games with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta now turns its attention to Sunday’s road game against the Toronto Tempo, the final Commissioner’s Cup contest on its schedule. The Dream enters the matchup with an 8-4 overall record and still among the top teams in the WNBA despite Thursday’s setback.

• Atlanta’s all-time record against New York fell to 25-43 overall and 13-22 at home.
• The Dream remains 3-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play, with $11,000 raised for The King Center through the tournament.
• Howard became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 400 career three-pointers.
• Reese’s 25 points established a season high and marked the second-highest scoring game of her career.
• Howard’s 2,528 career points moved her into fourth place on the Dream’s all-time scoring list.