Then Stewart hit a layup to give the Liberty the edge at 81-79 with 1:56 to go. After an Atlanta turnover, Stewart scored from in close to double the margin. Brionna Jones scored on an offensive rebound to cut it to 83-81. The Liberty had a shot clock violation, but Rhyne Howard missed inside.

The New York Liberty fell behind by as much as 17 points to the Atlanta Dream. Then, they woke up in a major way.

Unlike the WNBA’s other 12 head coaches, Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko doesn’t put together practice plans. He uses another phrase in referring to the Dream’s workouts. He crafts what he calls “progress plans.