Dream coach Karl Smesko had placed a heavy emphasis on his team not losing its edge on offense and its intensity on defense in the fourth quarter leading up to the team’s battle Sunday against the Chicago Sky.
That message came on the heels of two late-game collapses. In a loss to the New York Liberty and a win against the Washington Mystics, the Dream were outscored 57-33 in the final quarter — including blowing a 17-point second-half lead against New York and surrendering an 11-point advantage to Washington in the fourth. At the end of the third quarter Sunday, with the score tied at 69-69 — and the Sky narrowly winning the third 24-23 behind a scorching 14-of-15 showing at the free-throw line — the Dream had a chance to put their coach’s message to the test in the final 10 minutes.
“They were aggressive,” Smesko said. “They were attacking. We just had to make sure that we can guard without putting them at the foul line. … That kind of made the third quarter kind of tough.”
The Dream prevailed in the final frame, outscoring the Sky 24-11 while tightening their defense and limiting trips to the free-throw line, a sharp contrast to the previous period. The Dream also leaned on a strong fourth-quarter push by Rhyne Howard, who scored nine of her team-high 22 points in the final period, along with key bench production, and 10 combined points from Te-Hina Paopao and Naz Hillmon.
“She’s aggressively seeking her shot,” Smesko said of Paopao. “ … Any opportunity somebody turns her back for a second, there’s a long rebound, and they’re no longer attached (to her), she’s going to go find an opening where she can get the ball, call for it and she’s ready to knock it down. She’s got a very quick release. So if you just give her a couple feet, she can get that thing off. … She’s ready.”
Here are three takeaways from the Dream’s win against the Sky.
Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray lead way
Howard wasn’t satisfied with her showing in the Dream’s win Friday against the Mystics, when she scored 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. Despite the team improving to 9-4, the two-time All-Star wanted more. She delivered Sunday.
Howard led all Dream scorers in the win, knocking down four of her team’s 16 3-pointers, while adding three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Gray followed with another strong outing, finishing with 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep. The performance moved Gray into fourth on the franchise’s all-time list for 3-pointers made, eclipsing Renee Montgomery.
The Dream improved to 10-1 this season when Gray has scored 15 or more points. Three other Dream players scored in double digits: Paopao (16), Brionna Jones (13) and Hillmon (12) — a level of balance that Smesko continues to value.
“I like having a lot of different options and different things we can go to at different times, depending on matchups,” Smesko said. “… We shared the ball. Different people got involved. Everybody got to touch it.”
Defense, offensive execution improve in fourth quarter
After faltering in the final quarter in their past two games, the Dream knew they needed a sharper finish. Building good habits separates good teams from great ones.
And for a team with its best record after 14 games since 2014, maintaining discipline — with ball movement, tempo and defensive pressure — has become essential.
In Sunday’s fourth quarter, the Dream put it all together.
“We were able to slow them down in the fourth quarter,” Hillmon said. “We also didn’t give up as many free throws. We gave up a lot of free throws in that third quarter, which kept them in the game. But we found open shooters, and they knocked them down.”
Bench production continues to spark Dream’s strong start
The Dream’s bench has played a critical role in the team’s hot start, and Sunday was no exception. The Dream got 30 points from their reserves in the win over the Sky, continuing a trend that’s proved a key to their early success.
Paopao finished with 16 points, her third game with 16 this season, to go with two rebounds, three assists and one block. Hillmon contributed 12 points, six rebounds and four assists while posting a team-high and a plus/minus of plus-19.
The Dream improved to 3-0 this season when two or more reserves score 10 or more points.
“Our starting five is so great, and we want to be able to give them a boost or pick up, or if they’re lacking anything,” Hillmon said. “ … It’s a long season, and if they have to play 40 minutes every night, that’s just hard on their body. … I think it’s just going to make our team better.”
What’s next for the Dream
The Dream will return to action Tuesday when they face the Dallas Wings at Gateway Center Arena. The Dream defeated the Wings 83-75 on May 24.
Gray erupted for 27 points with 16 coming in the final two quarters. Jones notched her fourth double-double of the season, Brittney Griner finished with 15 points and the Dream’s bench produced 21 points to help the team secure the victory.
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