Big second half gives Dream win over Sun in first Commissioner’s Cup matchup

Coming from behind has its perks when you have a chip on your shoulder throughout the game.

After a night that featured 38 foul calls and a gritty Connecticut team determined to make a statement in Atlanta, the Dream clinched a 91-74 win over the Sun in a back-and-forth matchup that started rough but ended on a high note in their first Commissioner’s Cup game.

“I thought Connecticut played great that first half, Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “They were making tough shots, they were moving the ball, kind of getting what they want, and it was a battle till the fourth quarter. I thought we just got some separation in the fourth quarter.”

Key plays

Atlanta struggled getting past Connecticut’s defense in the first half after the Sun closed on a 7-1 run and took advantage of the Dream’s four turnovers, converting them into five points. It also didn’t help that many of Connecticut’s points came at the free throw line, where the Sun went 10-for-16 amid 20 total fouls called between both teams.

Howard led all scorers with 22 first-half points, while Gray added 18.

Angel Reese’s 3-pointer, followed by a stop and free throw, paired with a driving layup from Canada, helped Atlanta take a 68-65 lead on a 7-0 run to close the third quarter and energize the Gateway Center crowd. Connecticut never recovered from the surge.

Top Performers

Dream

Rhyne Howard: 36 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists (8-for-19 from 3-point range)

Allisha Gray: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Angel Reese: 12 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists

Sun

Annesah Morrow: 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists (WNBA-leading eighth double-double)

Leïla Lacan: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists

Saniya Rivers: 11 points, 2 assists

Highlight play

The Dream trailed by four points late in the third, with 1:15 remaining. Connecticut had control much of the quarter, but the momentum shifted with exactly one minute left when Reese checked in and knocked down a 23-foot 3-pointer off an assist from Canada

The basket, which was also Reese’s first made 3-pointer with Atlanta, cut Connecticut’s lead to 65-64 and marked the 1,000th point of her professional career. It also proved to be the turning point of the game for the Dream.

Quotable

“Angel works on the 3-point shot every day. I see her put in the work every day, and she shot the shot with confidence. So, congrats to Angel, her 1000th point, and that was a big 3 that we needed, and I feel like that 3 helped shift the momentum.” -- Gray on Reese’s 3-pointer.

“I think just seeing that when we move the ball, when we play with pace, when we get to where we want to get to and do what we want to do, it brings great success for us. We can’t let the other team dictate what we want to do, so being able to just attack the mismatches, attack the game plan, and make things easier for us, I think it’ll be helpful.” –- Howard on her key takeaways from the matchup.

“To be honest, it feels nice when me and Rhy both connect, and both have great games. I know, in the past, I’d have a good game, Rhy would have a slow game, then Rhy would have a good game, then I would have a slow game. So, I feel like when me and Rhy both have good games, where we’re connecting is a great game, and we’re more likely to win more games.” -- Gray on her and Howard’s strong first-half start.