By admin 
Perhaps no other teams enter the WNBA playoffs as confidently as the No. 4 seeded Atlanta Dream and the No. 5 Washington Mystics.
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Their very distinct paths taken have landed them in the same place — Game 1 of the first-round series on Sunday in Atlanta.
The Dream compiled a second straight solid season and matched last year’s franchise-record 30 wins. The Mystics followed three straight losing seasons with a 28-win campaign and their first playoff appearance since 2023.
But neither side is content with a successful regular season.
Led by head coach Karl Smesko, Atlanta (30-14) followed a five-game losing streak by finishing the season on an 18-5 run to clinch home-court advantage in this best-of-three series.
“Not everybody in the playoffs is capable of winning on the road and stealing a series,” Smesko said. “I definitely think it’s an advantage to play in front of your home crowd and get the extra game.”
A veteran group spearheaded by Allisha Gray (19 points per game) and Rhyne Howard (17.7 ppg), with record-breaking contributions from Angel Reese (16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per contest, league-record 32 double-doubles), Smesko never allowed himself to worry too much during his team’s blip.
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“Even during the five-game losing streak, I thought we had a really good team,” Smesko said. “What I really liked is how we pulled together. Everybody just worked on getting better. We made improvements during the year and we feel good about the way we’re playing going into the playoffs.”
Smesko won’t be the only coach in Atlanta on Sunday optimistic about the state of their team.
Sydney Johnson led the Mystics (28-16) to a 12-win improvement from 2025, aided by a 7-1 stretch to end the regular season. Looking for its first playoff series victory since winning the 2019 WNBA Finals, Washington is eager for Sunday night.
“I think we’ve been ready for a while,” Johnson said. “I think this group is ready for that challenge. We’re excited for it. Here it is in year two. What a wonderful job this team has done.”
Shakira Austin paces the Mystics with 17 points per game, followed by Sonia Citron’s 16.8. Washington took two of three from Atlanta in the regular season.
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–Field Level Media
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This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 10:44 AM.