A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart set to headline must-win WNBA playoff games Tuesday night
With just four teams remaining in the WNBA Playoffs, we are nearing the finish line. For two of those teams, the Liberty and Aces, the end of the road could be even closer. Both of them face a 0-2 deficit in their series and now must win three straight games if they want to keep their season and championship hopes alive.
The Dream and Valkyries come into tonight with a chance to close out their series, but they must do it on the road as a visiting team.
Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty drives against Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream during the first half of Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct. 7, 2026. (Getty Images)
Let’s take a look at both games and see how we should bet on them.
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ATLANTA DREAM ADVANCE TO WNBA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2018 WITH GAME 2 WIN
Dream vs Liberty, 7:30 pm ET
It is a bit hard to believe the Dream are even in this position. They were terrible two years ago. Last year, they improved, but didn’t win a playoff series. This season, they went out and traded for Angel Reese, and she rewarded them by winning the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. I genuinely like Reese, but she didn’t even lead her team, let alone the league, in steals or blocks.
She did lead them in turnovers and fouls, so I’m not really sure how she won the award. Either way, the team has improved overall with her on the roster and has won four straight playoff games.
The New York Liberty were the preseason favorites to win the championship, but they struggled to get things going this season. They came into the playoffs as the lowest-ranked team, but they did upset the top team, the Lynx.
Game 1 saw them lose by 10, and Game 2 saw them lose by three in overtime. Breanna Stewart continues to be dominant, and Sabrina Ionescu led the way in Game 1, but they need to both be on if they want to stop this Dream attack. Now that the series is shifting to New York, the team should get a bit of a boost, and I think they will win this one. The Liberty are a team of champions and won’t go out without a fight. Give me the Liberty -2.5.
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese shows emotion against the Las Vegas Aces in the third quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 3, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Valkyries vs Aces, 9:30 pm ET
The Golden State Valkyries looked anything but dominant in their playoff opener, but they’ve looked amazing since. I wrote recently about how the Valkyries needed someone to be the “go-to” player instead of the committee approach. It seems like Gabby Williams has listened to those words. She has averaged 24 points per game in the playoffs. In the two wins over the Aces, she has scored 45 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out eight assists.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) prepares for the tip-off against the Washington Mystics during the first quarter at CareFirst Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on Aug. 23, 2025. (Rafael Suanes/Imagn Images)
If any team in the league knows about having a go-to player, it is the Aces. Las Vegas has the best player in the league, perhaps of all time, in A’ja Wilson. She just won her fifth MVP award and is forgoing the ceremony to focus on tonight’s game. Wilson has put up 24 points in both of the games against the Valkyries, but it hasn’t been enough. Wilson will be ready for this one, and her team will almost certainly play better at home. I’m going to take the Aces to cover the short -3.5 spread. I also think Wilson will score over 27.5 points tonight.
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