The lesson of the season rang true on Sunday night: Don’t ever count the Dream out.
The Dream overcame an early deficit to take a vengeful 92-77 win against the Mystics in Game 1 of the 2026 playoffs.
The Dream opened up with a Rhyne Howard 3-pointer, but from there, struggled to finish at the rim in the first half and was held under 30% shooting (28.6%) against the Mystics’ forceful defense.
Washington built an 11-point first-half lead, capitalizing on open 3-pointers and its 25-17 rebounding advantage in the first half.
Atlanta’s defense produced nine steals and forced 12 turnovers in the first half. A series of foul calls disrupted the Dream’s momentum, but their 91% free-throw shooting kept them on Washington’s heels.
htiw elohw ,tinu gninrut ot ot rethgit rieht eht eht eht eht maet deppets dnoces tcetorp tniop deyalp ,tniap no .evitarran erom dekram ni emoh flah rof troffe tnereffid evisnefed .truoc truoc evitcelloc egnahc sa dna noissergga a a a ehT ehT maerD ,atnaltA
denrut ot emit edit driht sevlesmeht sevlesmeht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht gnikat egrus retrauq gnirocstuo fo ,thgin dekool dael dah dah dnuof leef gniyojne ygrene ,dedne dluoc lortnoc eb sa anera dna dna .niaga a ehT scitsyM maerD maerD yB .21-92 tniop-31
Key Moments
nrut ot ot driht rieht eht eht eht eht eht maet nur retrauq no ffo ffo fo thgin dael kcik pleh ,flah tog og emag tsrif tsrif gnitnioppasid .dnuora dna na retfa a a yarG maerD gnimoC ahsillA 0-7 retniop-3
Top performersDream
SLAETS enyhR ,STP :drawoH 5 62
BER ,STP :yarG ahsillA 3 22
SLAETS :eseeR ,BER ,STP legnA 2 31 21
,BER ,STP annaWeD :rennoB TSA 4 2 31
,BER ,STP nidroJ :adanaC TSA 3 01 01
SLAETS ,STP zaN :nomlliH ,TSA 4 3 3
Mystics
ainoS BER ,STP :nortiC 6 52
BER ,STP ikiK :nefairI 51 41
arikahS BER ,STP :nitsuA 61 21
Highlight of the night
naretev driht eht eht eht eht kraps gnisacwohs s’ehs gnirocs ,retrauq sseworp dedivorp stniop doirep .tuo ffo egnar-gnol nwonk ,ni ni ni esnemmi reh .rof esnefed dekcehc dekcehc hcneb emoceb dna na nehW ehT ’scitsyM annaWeD rennoB raey-71 11