Karl Smesko and the Atlanta Dream have officially booked their spot in the 2025 WNBA playoffs after beating the Dallas Wings 100-78 on Friday night.
Going into the game, the Dream needed one more victory to clinch the spot. They’ve had an excellent regular season as one of the best teams in the WNBA, especially in the Eastern Conference.
Smesko and Rhyne Howard reflected on the win after the game, via ClutchPoints’ Malik Brown. The head coach understood the importance of helping Atlanta secure a high seed as they aspire to compete for the championship.
“We had bigger goals than the playoffs from the beginning, but you can’t reach those goals unless you make the playoffs,” Smesko said. “So it’s a step in the right direction. Obviously, we’d like to be in the best position at the end of the regular season in terms of hosting as much as we can. And there’s a whole bunch of teams super tight. So this was an important game for us, and I’m glad we were able to have the fourth quarter we did.”
“We have to finish out. We’ve clinched, but that doesn’t mean our spot can’t change,” Howard said. “We didn’t clinch a spot; we clinched a place in the playoffs, and we have to take care of business, finish it out, make sure that we’re trying to have the best outcome possible and make sure we’re doing everything we’re supposed to be doing.”
How Karl Smesko, Dream Played Against Wings
GettyChristyn Williams #13 of the Dallas Wings handles the ball as Maya Caldwell #33 of the Atlanta Dream during first quarter at Gateway Center Arena on August 29, 2025 in College Park, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
It was an important win for Karl Smesko and the Dream to earn, looking forward to their playoff journey after beating the Wings.
The game was initially close as Dallas led 21-19 after the first quarter. However, Atlanta took control by outscoring them 30-19 in the second period to lead 49-40 at halftime. Even though the Wings took the third quarter by a 27-22 margin, the Dream responded with a 29-11 display in the fourth quarter to win in convincing fashion.
Shot accuracy, rebounding and playmaking played huge impacts in the matchup. The Dream shot 55.1% overall, including 45.5% from downtown, and 75% from the charity stripe. They pulled this off while grabbing 31 rebounds and creating 32 assists. This wasn’t the case for the Wings, having shooting splits of 45.2%, 27.8% and 77.8%. They also couldn’t match Dallas after finishing with 26 rebounds and 20 assists.
Five players scored in double-digits on Atlanta’s behalf. Rhyne Howard had an excellent display of 24 points, six blocks, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal. She shot 9-of-16 shooting from the field, including 1-of-5 from downtown, and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. Allisha Gray came next with 19 points and five rebounds, Brionna Jones had 16 points and five rebounds, while Te-Hina Paopao put up 14 points and eight assists. Meanwhile, Brittney Griner provided 11 points and two assists.
Atlanta improved to a 25-14 record on the season, boasting the top spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are one game above the New York Liberty and 4.5 games above the Indiana Fever.
With five games remaining, the Dream will prepare for their next matchup. They are on the road, facing the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. ET.
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