Mystics Visit Dream Sunday to Open WNBA Playoffs on Prime Video
The short version
- No. 4 Atlanta hosts No. 5 Washington in Game 1 Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video
- Washington set a franchise record with 28 wins and closed 9-1 over its last 11 games
- Atlanta finished 9-1 with five straight wins for a second consecutive 30-win season
- Washington won the 2026 season series 2-1; Atlanta leads playoff meetings 6-4
- Game 2 is Sept. 30 on ESPN at CareFirst Arena; Game 3, if needed, is Oct. 2 in Atlanta
Fifth-seeded Washington travels to Atlanta for Game 1 of the first round at State Farm Arena, with both teams riding strong finishes to the regular season.
The 2026 WNBA playoffs begin Sunday for the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics, who meet in Game 1 of their first-round series at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The fourth-seeded Dream hold home-court advantage against the fifth-seeded Mystics, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Michael Grady will handle play-by-play, with LaChina Robinson and Candace Parker serving as analysts and Kayla Grey reporting from the sideline.
Washington enters the postseason as one of the league's hottest teams, having won nine of its final 11 games, including four straight to close the regular season. The Mystics set a franchise record with 28 wins this year and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023. A decisive recent victory over the Indiana Fever helped sustain that momentum down the stretch.
Defense has been central to Washington's season. The Mystics finished with the league's second-rated defense at 103.3. Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere said the team's approach is simply to stay true to what carried it this far, citing the roster's depth and its identity of toughness and physicality on the defensive end.
Atlanta also closed the year in strong form, going 9-1 over its final 10 games with five consecutive wins to finish with 30 victories for the second straight season. The Dream clinched home-court advantage in this series with two wins over New York late in the year. Atlanta's defense ranked third in the WNBA at 103.5, making this one of the tighter defensive matchups of the first round.
The Dream were upset in the first round a year ago, losing 2-1 to Indiana in 2025, and that exit has shaped their mindset this time around. Forward Naz Hillmon said the lesson from that series was that any weakness left unaddressed during the season can be the thing that ends it, and that she wants to leave the playoffs knowing she corrected what needed correcting.
The head-to-head history between the clubs is closely split. Washington won the 2026 regular-season series 2-1 and leads the all-time regular-season series 36-33, but Atlanta holds a 6-4 edge in playoff meetings.
The series continues Wednesday, Oct. 2? No — Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN at CareFirst Arena in Washington. A decisive Game 3, if necessary, would be played Friday, Oct. 2, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Karl Smesko coaches Atlanta, while Sydney Johnson leads Washington. The series winner advances in the 2026 WNBA playoffs bracket.
Global Sportscast's schedule lists Washington at Atlanta for Sunday, September 27 at 7:00 PM EDT at State Farm Arena, streaming on Prime Video.
Games to watch
