The 2022 WNBA regular season has come to a close, leaving the Atlanta Dream, along with the Minnesota Lynx, Los Angeles Sparks and Indiana Fever, on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

The Dream’s postseason bid came down to the wire, with Atlanta’s fate sealed after losing to the New York Liberty in the team’s regular-season finale.

Yet despite the disappointing end, the Dream have reason for optimism as the team looks to develop around their 2022 rebuild.

Atlanta Dream: Year in Review

What went right?

The Atlanta Dream’s 2022 campaign started on a high note before the season even began when the team selected Rhyne Howard as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.

The University of Kentucky guard faced lofty expectations as she entered the league, but she met or exceeded all of them. Howard won WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month in all four months of the season, finishing her debut season averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Howard provides the Dream with a critical presence on both sides of the ball, ending her maiden WNBA run 11th in the league in points per game and fifth in steals per game.

After a 2021 marred by off-court turmoil, including Chennedy Carter’s extended suspension following a locker room confrontation, Atlanta enjoyed a relatively drama-free 2022 as the team turned an 8-24 record last season into a 14-22 record this time around.

RHYNE HOWARD WITH THE EMPHATIC BLOCK 😤 pic.twitter.com/pgCWBuJSX7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 14, 2022

What went wrong?

The Dream need work on their offensive production. They finished the regular season second-to-last in points per game behind 42% field goal shooting. Atlanta, however, is fourth in 3-point percentage and seventh in 3-pointers made, with a lot to like about the team’s perimeter game.

Dead last in assists, the Dream will need to develop their ball movement and shot selection as they build around Howard.

Youth also hindered the Dream down the stretch, with the inexperience getting in the way of Atlanta grinding out wins when it mattered most.

What comes next?

The Dream is a team on the rise, and they could speed their progression with a free agent signing or a savvy draft pick to improve their post presence.

Atlanta does have a chance at another No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft lottery, and the 2023 draft class is expected to be one of the most talented in recent history. That gives the Dream an excellent opportunity to add a generational talent to a roster that already features Howard.

World No. 18 Colombia secured their spot in the 2025 Copa América final on Monday night, when Las Cafeteras bested No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout to take the first of the continental tournament's two semifinals.

Despite dominating in both possession and attacking opportunities, Colombia failed to break through in regulation time, ending the Copa semifinal in a 0-0 stalemate.

However, the 2022 runners-up showed confidence from the spot, securing the victory with a narrow 5-4 penalty differential after six shootout rounds.

"We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective," said Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia after the win. "We are prepared for the Final."

With Colombia hunting a first-ever Copa title in their fourth trip to the tournament's finale, they will either face underdog No. 63 Uruguay or reigning champions No. 4 Brazil in Saturday's 2025 title match.

Should Brazil soccer legend Marta and the rest of her team continue their run to a fifth straight — and ninth overall — Conmebol trophy, Colombia would find themselves facing As Canarinhas for a competition record-tying fourth time in the Copa América final.

On the other hand, a Uruguay semifinal victory over Brazil would set up the first-ever Copa América finale to not feature the continental powerhouse.

How to watch Brazil vs. Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal

Defending champ Brazil will take on Uruguay in the second Copa América semifinal at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, as each team aims for a spot against Colombia in Saturday's 5 PM ET tournament final.

Tuesday's semifinal will air live on FS1.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) crowned its inaugural champion on Sunday, with the No. 1-seed Talons lifting the first-ever AUSL trophy after sweeping the No. 2-seed Bandits in the weekend's 2025 Championship Series.

Battling inclement weather all weekend, the Talons finished out Saturday's rain-delayed Game 1 to a 3-1 win early Sunday morning, before avoiding a winner-take-all Game 3 by claiming the AUSL title in a narrow 1-0 second victory on Sunday afternoon.

AUSL Pitcher of the Year Georgina Corrick and former Alabama ace Montana Fouts held the powerful Bandits offense at bay throughout the two wins, while infielder Sydney Romero — a former two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma — secured the Talons' title with a Game 2 sixth-inning home run.

"I wouldn't have wanted to do this anywhere else, with anybody else," Fouts said after the championship win. "I feel like we really are family. That's what makes this so special. Obviously, winning is awesome, but I just feel like whenever you step on the field with people like this, you've already won." 

In addition to the Talons' 2025 championship trophy, AUSL at-large garnered plenty of success throughout its debut season, selling out 14 of the first 29 games while averaging 117,000 viewers per game on ESPN2 — a 65% increase over the 2024 Athletes Unlimited format.

That boost saw the broadcaster upgrade the final series from ESPN2 to ESPN.

"It's really been, in some ways, eye-opening," AUSL commissioner Kim Ng told Sports Business Journal earlier this month. "I don't think that any of us thought that we would get this type of reception. But everyone here is so incredibly excited."

The No. 11 Dallas Wings put on a show on Monday, handing the No. 2 New York Liberty their second straight loss behind a combined 40 points from star guards Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

Rocketing to a season-best 63-36 first-half lead, Dallas held off the reigning WNBA champions' fourth-quarter surge to secure the 92-82 upset win — the Wings' eighth victory of the year.

Ogunbowale tallied 14 assists in the win, becoming to first WNBA player to ever record 20+ points and 14+ assists in a single game while committing less than two turnovers.

While the WNBA standings remained relatively stable, Dallas's upswing brought further frustration for the Liberty, as they continue to struggle to keep all five starters healthy at the same time.

While previously injured center Jonquel Jones is back in the mix, New York missed 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart on Monday, with the star forward sidelined after suffering a blow to the leg during Saturday play.

"Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people, we have to come out with a little more purpose," guard Sabrina Ionescu told reporters after Monday's loss.

How to watch the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty this week

New York's next trek is significantly steeper, as the Liberty take on the league-leading Minnesota Lynx at 8 PM ET on Wednesday. A rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the clash will air live on ESPN.

Dallas will be in action at the exact same time, when the Wings will hunt a ninth season win against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, airing live on ESPN3.

Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.

Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.

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The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.

"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."

Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:

• No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.

• No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-ridden Sky.

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.