WNBA semis winners and losers: Angel Reese proves clutch as Liberty, Aces face elimination after Game 2 losses

The Dream and Valkyries took commanding 2-0 leads in a thrilling pair of games Wednesday night The 2026 WNBA playoffs continued in thrilling fashion Wednesday when the Atlanta Dream outlasted the New York Liberty in overtime, 101-98, to win Game 2 of their best-of-five semifinal series and take a commanding 2-0 lead. The Dream are now one win away from their first Finals appearance since 2013. Out on the West Coast, the Golden State Valkyries' 83-81 win over the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces was just as exciting. The Aces battled back from a 17-point deficit to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, only for Veronica Burton to hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Valkyries a 2-0 lead of their own.

The franchise, which joined the league just last season, is now on the verge of its first-ever Finals appearance. Here are some winners and losers from an entertaining Wednesday night in the WNBA playoffs: Canada continues to be the biggest winner of this postseason. Allisha Gray, who was ruled out of Game 2, has played 11 minutes in this series. Rhyne Howard has, incredibly, shot 5 of 20 from the field in both games. And yet the Dream are up 2-0 in large part because their defensive-minded point guard has turned into