Heartbreak: Brittney Griner Blames Officials After Dream’s Gut-Wrenching 87-85 Playoff Exit.
In a thriller that came down to the final buzzer, the Atlanta Dream’s season ended in agonizing fashion, falling 87-85 to the Indiana Fever in Game 3 of their first-round WNBA playoff series. The loss, witnessed by a raucous sellout crowd at Gateway Center Arena, left fans in shock and players in tears as the Dream’s promising postseason run came to a sudden halt.
The game was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, highlighted by clutch shot-making from both sides. Indiana’s rookie sensation Caitlin Clark delivered yet another marquee performance, tallying 24 points and 8 assists while orchestrating the Fever’s late surge. The Dream fought valiantly behind Allisha Gray’s 21 points and Rhyne Howard’s relentless energy, but it was a pair of controversial calls in the final minutes that stole the spotlight.
Brittney Griner, who anchored Atlanta’s interior play with 18 points and 11 rebounds, voiced her frustration in the postgame press conference, bluntly criticizing the officiating. “We gave everything we had out there, but at the end of the day, it felt like the whistle decided it,” Griner said, referencing a questionable foul call on her with 27 seconds remaining that set up free throws for Fever center Aliyah Boston.
The Dream still had a chance to tie or win in the closing seconds, but Howard’s contested three rimmed out, sealing Atlanta’s fate.
Head coach Tanisha Wright struck a more measured tone, praising her team’s resilience despite the outcome. “This group grew so much this season. Tonight hurts, but we’re building something special here,” she said.
For the Fever, the victory marked their first playoff series win in over a decade, while the Dream were left to grapple with what-ifs. For Griner and her teammates, the heartbreak will linger, but so too will the fire to return stronger in 2026.
