WNBA Recap & Results | September 23, 2026
Wednesday's two-game slate settled a tiebreaker and closed out Dallas's regular season. Atlanta took the rubber match against New York behind a dominant defensive effort, claiming the season series and the tiebreaker in the process. And Paige Bueckers closed her regular season in style, leading Dallas to a road win in Seattle. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up, and where the playoff seeding picture stands heading into the final day.
Dream Take Rubber Match, Claim Season Series
Atlanta Dream 83, New York Liberty 65
Atlanta settled the season series in decisive fashion, exactly as the preview flagged their steadier defense could deliver. The Dream built control with a dominant 23-7 second quarter and never let New York back into it. Final: 83-65, Atlanta wins the rubber match and claims the season series at 2-1, while New York falls to 26-18 and officially has a date with Minnesota in the first round.
Allisha Gray was outstanding, going 8-of-17 from the field (4-of-7 from three) for 24 points at 64% true shooting with five assists and three steals. Naz Hillmon added 16 points on 46.2% shooting, and Jordin Canada contributed 12 points with five assists. Atlanta's staggering 12 steals and their 25 assists on 30 made field goals reflected exactly the defensive consistency the preview identified as Atlanta's calling card all season, traveling well again just three days after their first win at this same building.
New York never found any offensive rhythm against Atlanta's pressure. Jonquel Jones posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds on 42.9% shooting. Marine Fauthoux added 14 points on 50% shooting off the bench, and Han Xu contributed 11 points. But New York's 17.2% three-point shooting and their 20 total turnovers, converted into 15 Atlanta points, reflected a Liberty offense that came in averaging 90.1 points a game in this series and could not solve Atlanta's defense when the tiebreaker was on the line.
ATL 83 · NYL 65
Bueckers Closes Regular Season With Road Win in Seattle
Dallas Wings 103, Seattle Storm 91
Dallas closed out its regular season exactly the way the preview anticipated, with Bueckers's hot recent form and the Wings' talent gap showing up early. Dallas built a 17-point first-quarter lead and held on through a spirited Seattle push. Final: 103-91, Dallas closes its regular season at 27-17 having clinched its playoff berth and will play either Golden State or Las Vegas in the first round, while Seattle closes its home schedule at 8-36, still last in the league.
Jessica Shepard delivered a triple-double, going 9-of-12 from the field for 20 points at 72.7% true shooting with 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Paige Bueckers added 25 points on 60% shooting (a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line) with seven assists, closing her regular season in style. Arike Ogunbowale contributed 23 points on 53.3% shooting with six assists. Dallas's 66.6% true shooting as a team and their 32 assists on 39 made field goals reflected exactly the finish-strong performance the preview flagged, with the Wings' final playoff seeding still to be determined by tiebreakers elsewhere.
Seattle competed hard in its home finale despite the talent gap. Dominique Malonga was excellent, going 11-of-18 from the field for 29 points at 62.3% true shooting with eight rebounds. Flau'jae Johnson added 21 points on 44.4% shooting with four assists, and Awa Fam shot 61.5% for 22 points. But Seattle's 65.2% free throw shooting and their inability to slow down Dallas's balanced attack reflected the league's least competitive defense the preview identified, even in a game that stayed entertaining throughout.
DAL 103 · SEA 91
ATL & DAL Wins.
Wednesday delivered exactly the stakes both games promised. Atlanta's rubber-match win over New York confirms their fourth seed. And Dallas closed its regular season with a signature win, Bueckers and Shepard both delivering complete performances as the Wings head into the postseason with real momentum, and is confirmed as the seventh seed.
Star of the Night: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings
20 points | 9-of-12 FG | 72.7% TS | 11 rebounds | 12 assists | Triple-Double
Shepard delivered a genuine triple-double to close out Dallas's regular season, controlling the game from every statistical column. Gray's 24-point, 64% true shooting performance in the tiebreaker-deciding win and Bueckers's 25-point finale both made strong cases, but a complete triple-double on the final day of the regular season stands out above the rest of Wednesday's slate.
Dud of the Night: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
7 points | 2-of-7 FG | 28.6% field goal percentage | 4 turnovers
Ionescu's shooting struggles came at the worst possible time as the loss locks them into a matchup with the championship favorites. Two made field goals on seven attempts with four turnovers reflected a night where New York's backcourt punch never showed up against Atlanta's defensive pressure.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Predictions
Wednesday's picks went a clean 2-for-2 on sides, with the totals splitting.
Atlanta @ New York: The preview leaned Atlanta +1.5 with the over at 176.5, citing Atlanta's steadier defense and their win at this same building three days earlier. Atlanta won outright by 18, an enormous cover, but the total came in at 148, nearly 30 points under the number. The side hit clean, though the over missed badly as Atlanta's defense suffocated the game far more completely than either team's recent scoring form suggested.
Dallas @ Seattle: The preview leaned Dallas -9.5 with the over at 170.5, citing a hot Bueckers-led offense against the league's worst defense. Dallas won by 12, comfortably covering, and the total came in at 194, well over the number. A clean sweep to close out the slate.
The headline takeaway: both sides hit clean, with Atlanta's defensive dominance in the tiebreaker decider proving even more suffocating than the preview's already-favorable read anticipated, while Dallas's finale played out almost exactly as scripted on both counts.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through September 23:
Spread / Side: 66-61
Total (Over/Under): 65-66
One hundred twenty-seven games graded so far across forty-two preview articles. The side calls sit at 52%, while the totals sit at just under 50%. One day of games remains before the regular season closes out Thursday, September 24.
The Playoff Seeding Picture
The playoff field remains fully locked at eight teams: Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Indiana, New York, Washington, and Dallas. Dallas, Portland, New York, and Seattle have all completed their full 44-game regular seasons. Atlanta's win confirms their fourth seed while New York’s loss locks them into the 8th seed and a first round trip to Minnesota. Golden State, Las Vegas, Indiana, and Washington’s seed will depend on the outcome of the games on the final day of the regular season.
The playoffs tip off on September 27th.