The New York Liberty shook up their starting lineup and cruised to an easy win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series. The Dream, meanwhile, showed resilience down the stretch to win Game 1s against the Minnesota Lynx. Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 16 points and 11 assists, while Betnijah Laney added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Dream’s Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points, but Atlanta struggled to keep up with New York’s offensive pace. In the other Game 1, the Lynx rallied from a 17-point deficit to force overtime, but ultimately fell to the Phoenix Mercury.
