Liberty vs. Dream Recap: Atlanta's 32-15 Third Quarter Decides It

The Dream beat the Liberty 92-82. New York led 40-37 at halftime, then Atlanta won the third quarter 32-15 and kept the Liberty at arm's length the rest of the way. Ball security was the story in the box score: New York had 21 total turnovers to Atlanta's 13, Atlanta had 14 steals, and the Dream outscored the Liberty 18-0 in fast break points. Seven DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Dream -3.5 (-115 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Atlanta beat New York by 11 and 18 in their two September meetings. This was one of our lower-confidence plays, so it counts as a long shot that landed. - What happened: The Dream won by 10, covering by 6.5. The 32-15 third quarter turned a 3-point halftime deficit into a 69-55 lead going to the fourth. - Worth watching: Atlanta beat New York by double digits again. We would still check the number before backing it next time, since the cushion came from one big quarter.

Dream over 79.5 team total points (alt, worth it at -300 or better): CASHED - Our read: Atlanta had scored 80+ in 9 of its last 10 and put up 90, 95 and 83 against New York this season. - What happened: 92 points, 12.5 over. The Dream shot 32-71 from the field, 18-23 at the line and scored 38 points in the paint. - Worth watching: An alt total well under the Dream's recent scoring range keeps paying when the price is fair. Past -300 it stops being worth it.

Jordin Canada 10+ points (-173 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: She had 10+ in 8 of her last 10, with 19 and 12 against New York in September and 19 in the Game 2 clincher, while averaging 35+ minutes in the playoffs. - What happened: 25 points on 9-14 shooting, 4-6 from three and 3-3 at the line in 32 minutes, plus 4 assists and 5 steals. - Worth watching: Her minutes are the anchor here. If the workload holds, a 10+ line has room.

DeWanna Bonner 6+ points (-215 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: She scored 6+ in 9 of her last 10, including 17 and 9 in the two September meetings with New York. - What happened: 23 points off the bench on 10-18 shooting, 3-6 from three, in 30 minutes. - Worth watching: With 30 minutes off the bench, a low points line is a floor play. The price is the thing to watch, not the line.

DeWanna Bonner 4+ rebounds (-176 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: She grabbed 4+ boards in 9 of her last 10, with 8 and 6 in the two September wins over New York. - What happened: 9 rebounds, 2 offensive and 7 defensive. - Worth watching: Same minutes, same logic as her points. Both Bonner lines cleared with plenty to spare.

Pauline Astier 3+ rebounds (-230 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: She grabbed 3+ in 10 of her last 10, with 5 and 8 in the sweep of Minnesota while playing 33 and 29 minutes. - What happened: 6 rebounds in 21 minutes as a starter for New York. - Worth watching: Her minutes dropped from that Minnesota series and she still doubled the line. Our pass point was -260, so at -230 there was not much room on price.

Pauline Astier under 3.5 assists (-150 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: She was held to 3 or fewer assists in 8 of her last 10, with 2 in her last meeting with Atlanta. This was another lower-confidence play that landed. - What happened: 1 assist in 21 minutes. - Worth watching: Her night was about shooting and rebounding, with 9 points on 4-7 shooting and 6 boards. As long as that is her role, a low assist line stays in play.

How the game played out

The first half was close, with New York up 24-21 after one and each team scoring 16 in the second. The third quarter decided it. Atlanta won it 32-15, and the Liberty's late push only trimmed the margin, as New York took the fourth 27-23.

Trends to watch

• Turnovers: New York had 19 turnovers plus 2 team turnovers and gave up 32 points off them. Atlanta had 14 steals.
• Canada and Bonner combined for 48 points, with Angel Reese adding 17 points and 7 rebounds.
• New York shot 15-15 at the line and 11-28 from three. Sabrina Ionescu (27) and Breanna Stewart (19) carried the scoring.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More on alt lines, the point spread and our WNBA hub.