Karl Smesko Credits Naz Hillmon's Defense on Breanna Stewart in Dream's Closeout

Naz Hillmon was guarding Breanna Stewart when Stewart drove and missed a contested layup with nine seconds left and New York down 83-81 on Friday night at Barclays Center.

The Atlanta Dream held on to beat the New York Liberty 85-83 and finish a three-game sweep of their WNBA semifinal. Atlanta is in the Finals for the first time since 2013.

Hillmon did not score. She went 0-of-7 from the field and had four rebounds, three assists, and a steal, and she finished with five fouls.

Dream coach Karl Smesko said Atlanta's foul trouble kept Hillmon moving in and out of the game, but her impact remained significant.

"We talked from training camp about the value of one and that every possession would matter," Smesko said. "We were in foul trouble, and Naz was unselfish, coming in and out and playing great defense on Stewie. She didn't score, but she showed up in many ways, including guarding her straight up on the last possession. We need players like that."

"We're glad we finished the series when we did because New York is full of great competitors," Smesko continued. "We didn't want to give them momentum. The layoff is a little difficult because we're playing well, but we'll use the time to prepare for whoever our opponent is. The finals should be exceptional."

Stewart scored 26 points on 6-of-15 shooting and went 13-of-13 at the free-throw line.

Two nights earlier, Hillmon was the one who scored. She played 43:30 in Game 2 and finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and her layup with 20.8 seconds left in overtime put Atlanta ahead for good in a 101-98 win at State Farm Arena.

New York led 68-66 after three quarters Friday and went up by four early in the fourth. Atlanta then scored eight straight points to lead 75-71 with 4:55 left, and the Liberty went more than six minutes without a field goal.

New York scored 15 points in the quarter.

Atlanta scored 12 points off New York's 11 turnovers and took 69 shots to the Liberty's 62.

Angel Reese grabbed five of the Dream's nine offensive rebounds. Smesko said Reese is one of the best offensive rebounders in league history.

"It was part of the plan before we got Angel, and when she became available, she made those goals easier," Smesko explained. "We got one of the best offensive rebounders in league history, plus someone who makes defensive plays and steals. She was the perfect piece to bring the plan to life."

The Dream acquired Reese in an offseason trade, and she was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

In Game 1, a 92-82 win on Oct. 4, Reese and Jordin Canada combined for nine steals.

In Game 2, the Dream grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to New York's five and scored 28 points off 17 Liberty turnovers.

Allisha Gray missed the last two games of the series after hurting her hand in Game 1. She warmed up before Game 3 and was ruled out about an hour before tip-off.

Isobel Borlase scored 10 points Friday on 5-of-6 shooting and added two steals.

In Game 2, she scored 11 off the bench, including back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third quarter that put Atlanta up 75-67.

Smesko said her confidence grew at the World Cup.

"Izy's production was essential in the final two games," Smesko said. "She's grown a lot, built her confidence, and had a great World Cup. She's a 21-year-old rookie who stepped up, made good decisions, and played with poise."

"When [Gray] went down, Izy played her game without feeling pressure to do too much," Smesko added. "She attacked the basket, made the right reads, and came up huge. We will need her in the finals."

Atlanta went 30-14 in the regular season, matching the franchise record for wins it set in 2025, and won the season series against New York 2-1.

The Dream swept Washington in the first round and are 5-0 in the playoffs.

The Finals begin Saturday, Oct. 17. Golden State leads Las Vegas 2-0 in the other semifinal, and Game 1 is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.