Atlanta took Game 1 from the Liberty with one punishing quarter

The Liberty walked into halftime with a 40-37 lead. They left the third quarter down 69-55, and Atlanta held on for a 92-82 win in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals Sunday. The Dream leads the best-of-five series 1-0.

Atlanta's pressure turned the game. The Dream forced 21 turnovers and scored 32 points off them, tying the WNBA playoff record. Sixteen of those points came in the third quarter, when New York was outscored 32-15. The Liberty shot 4-for-14 during a stretch that let Atlanta turn a close game into a double-digit gap.

The third quarter flipped the game

Jordin Canada scored 20 of her 25 points after halftime and had five steals. Sabrina Ionescu led New York with 27 points, while Breanna Stewart added 19. The Liberty did cut a 16-point deficit to five late, but Canada's timely three and another Atlanta transition basket stopped the push.

That is a specific problem for New York to solve in Game 2: protect the ball when Atlanta turns up the pressure, especially at the start of the second half. The first half showed the Liberty can score against the Dream. The third quarter showed how quickly loose possessions can erase that work. Game 2 is Wednesday, October 7, in Atlanta.