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Basketball
4 min read

Liberty-Lynx? Superteams, again? Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark? First-round WNBA playoff series we want to see

Since no one is locked into a spot and every matchup is still malleable, here are the first-round matchups that are both realistic and enticing.
Liberty-Lynx? Superteams, again? Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark? First-round WNBA playoff series we want to see

Cassandra NegleyWomen's basketball reporter

Dream look to clinch semifinals against New York

Atlanta Dream (30-14, 15-5 Eastern Conference) at New York Liberty (26-18, 13-7 Eastern Conference)

A disputed timeout leaves the Liberty reeling as they fall to Atlanta in OT, down 2-0

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Liberty return home trying to keep their season alive after a loss to Atlanta in Game 2 of their best-of-five WNBA semifinals series left the team in a major hole and confused about whether they had a timeout at the end of the game.

Hilllmon's late bucket, Reese heroics lead Dream to an OT win over Liberty

ATLANTA (AP) — Angel Reese scored 23 points, Naz Hillmon made the go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds left in overtime and the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the WNBA semifinals.

Reese scores 23, Hillmon makes go-ahead basket in OT as Dream beat Liberty 101-98 for a 2-0 lead

ATLANTA (AP) — Angel Reese scored 23 points, Naz Hillmon made the go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds left in overtime and the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the WNBA semifinals.

Down 2-0 to Valkyries in WNBA semifinals, defending champion Aces face elimination at home

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Becky Hammon is blunt and brutally honest.

Breanna Stewart says Liberty were told they did not have a reset timeout in overtime

ATLANTA (AP) — The New York Liberty opted not to advance the ball for a better shot at a tying 3-pointer, then said after their loss Wednesday night that officials told them they didn't have a reset timeout left.

Golden State looks to finish out semifinals against Las Vegas in game 3

Golden State Valkyries (32-12, 15-8 Western Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (31-13, 17-6 Western Conference)

Breanna Stewart: Liberty moving on after confusion over timeout in Game 2 OT loss

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty are moving on from Game 2 and the confusion of whether they had a timeout in the waning seconds of overtime.

Burton's 3-pointer with 41 seconds left helps send Valkyries past Aces 83-81 for 2-0 semifinals lead

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Veronica Burton hit a deep 3-pointer that put Golden State ahead with 41 seconds left and converted two free throws in the closing seconds, Tiffany Hayes had 21 points, and the Valkyries held off the Las Vegas Aces 83-81 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA semifinal series.

The WNBA set an attendance record. What new heights can the league reach?

Experts say the WNBA could play more games in larger venues as it surges in popularity, thanks to the rise of star players, new teams and a wave of interest in women's sports more broadly.

Caitlin Clark denounces the hateful messages Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell says she received

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark still wants Kelsey Mitchell as a teammate — even though Clark understands that's not always easy.

Heat center Bam Adebayo kept the secret that A'ja Wilson was the WNBA's MVP again

MIAMI (AP) — A'ja Wilson found out Thursday that she was the WNBA's Most Valuable Player.

Knicks say they are pausing contract negotiations and will focus solely on preparing for the season

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are focused on their NBA title defense now and will worry about contract negotiations later.

Scores and schedule for Thursday Oct. 8, 2026

USC, UCLA looking to extend West Coast dominance of Big Ten women's basketball

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — With UCLA coming off a national title and Southern Cal going for one of its own with star Juju Watkins returning from injury, there may never have been more attention on women's basketball in Los Angeles.

NBA, FIBA reiterate plan for new Europe league whether EuroLeague merger happens or not

LONDON (AP) — The NBA was pressing ahead with plans to launch a new European basketball league, saying on Thursday the current model was seriously undervalued.

Nurse out, Aubin in at Canadian women's hockey team selection camp

QUÉBEC — Veteran forward Sarah Nurse has been removed from the Canadian women's hockey team selection camp roster for the upcoming world championship and replaced by college forward Alexia Aubin.

Panthers play the Wild in a non-conference matchup

Minnesota Wild (2-1-1, in the Central Division) vs. Florida Panthers (2-0-2, in the Atlantic Division)

Red Wings host the Kraken after DeBrincat's 2-goal game

Seattle Kraken (2-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Detroit Red Wings (1-2, in the Atlantic Division)

Bucks entering uncertain new era as they adjust to life without Giannis Antetokounmpo

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Tyler Herro understands the skepticism surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks now that they’ve traded away Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP who led the franchise to its first title in half a century.

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It was published on September 16, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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