Atlanta Dream vs New York Liberty Game Player Stats and Box Scores for September 22 | Game 1, 2024 WNBA Playoffs

Game 1 of the Atlanta Dream vs New York Liberty first-round playoff series was played at Barclays Center. The No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup opened the postseason, with the Liberty separating from the Dream early in the game, finishing the first quarter up 29-16.

Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Leonie Fiebich made an early impact while Tina Charles and Allisha Gray tried to stay close to the Liberty during the first half.

The differences between the Liberty and Dream were visible, as the top seed dominated the game on both ends, moved the ball fluidly and suffocated the Dream on defense. Ultimately, New York went into halftime leading 48-30.

Leonie Fiebich led the way for the Liberty with her 21 points, followed by MVP finalist Breanna Stewart's 20 while Sabrina Ionescu contributed 17. Rhyne Howard scored a team-high 14 points while Tina Charles added 12 for a Dream team that struggled from start to finish.

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Atlanta Dream vs New York Liberty Game Player Stats and Box Scores for Sept. 22

Atlanta Dream game player stats and box scores

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
Naz Hillmon	9	3	0	0	0	1
Tina Charles	12	7	0	0	0	1
Allisha Gray	9	5	2	0	0	2
Jordin Canada	3	0	4	1	0	5
Rhyne Howard	14	6	4	3	3	1
Nia Coffey	0	1	2	0	0	0
Ezinne Kalu	4	0	2	1	0	2
Maya Caldwell	2	3	1	2	1	0

New York Liberty game player stats and box scores

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton	10	0	5	1	0	3
Breanna Stewart	20	11	3	2	3	0
Jonquel Jones	9	7	3	0	0	0
Leonie Fiebich	21	1	1	2	0	1
Sabrina Ionescu	17	5	5	1	0	2
Kayla Thornton	0	2	1	0	1	0
Kennedy Burke	0	1	1	0	1	0
Nyara Sabally	2	7	0	1	1	4
Courtney Vandersloot	4	3	3	2	0	1

The Atlanta Dream vs New York Liberty developed as many people expected, with the heavy favorite taking an early lead that they never lost to secure Game 1 of the best-of-three series. The Liberty took over the game early in the first quarter, going on a 14-0 run after Allisha Gray cut New York's lead to four points (13-9) with 5:33 left on the clock.

This moment changed everything for both teams, as the Liberty took an advantage that never wavered, finishing the first half up 48-30. The second half followed the same script, although the Dream made adjustments and only lost the third quarter by two points (21-19) and then were able to win the fourth quarter despite entering this period with a 20-point deficit.

The Liberty only needed to manage their advantage and see the clock run down to secure the win. They'll return to the court on Tuesday, set to finish the job an advance to the next round, where a stronger opponent will be waiting.