Complete performance from Dream fuels strong win over Tempo
Just another day in the office as the Atlanta Dream slowed down Toronto’s Tempo in a 107-95 win Monday night.
Courtesy of Atlanta’s defense, the Dream disrupted the Tempo’s offense early, forcing them to struggle getting shots in the paint. Toronto did push at one point, trailing closely behind through the second quarter behind Marina Mabrey’s 3-pointers and finishes at the rim.
It wasn’t enough to keep up with the Dream, however. Shooting 51.4% from the field and taking advantage of their 21 of 30 free-throw attempts, Atlanta pulled away with a 15-point lead heading into halftime (54-39).
Entering the second half, Atlanta kept the energy going and extended their lead to 25 points in the third quarter. In addition, all five starters knocked down at least one 3-pointer and scored in double-digits to add to the stat sheet. Despite a series of calls that slowed the game down late in the quarter, the Dream used it as fuel to increase their communication and finish strong.
Key Moments
With a little over two minutes left in the second quarter, the Dream powered forward with a 3-pointer from Isobel Borlase that kicked off a surge of free throws, efficient finishes in the paint and clean looks from around the floor. The sequence helped build Atlanta’s momentum heading into halftime.
The key moment out of this?
Atlanta played a complete 40-minute game of basketball and put the game away early, even after securing a substantial lead. This was exactly what the team had been emphasizing as a major area of improvement heading into this stretch of the season.
Top performers
Dream
Rhyne Howard: 22 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST
Angel Reese: 20 PTS, 14 REB, 2 AST
Jordin Canada: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST
Allisha Gray: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST
Brionna Jones: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST
Tempo
Marina Mabrey: 36 PTS, 3 AST
Nyara Sabally: 12 PTS, 12 REB
Isabelle Harrison: 13 PTS, 3 REB
Highlight of the night
There was an array of plays that highlighted the night, so it was tricky to narrow it down to one.
A milestone highlight, however, was a record set by Angel Reese. With 4:01 remaining in the third quarter, Reese set the record for the most double-doubles in Dream history with 22 this season. Seven more double-doubles would give her the WNBA single-season league record, surpassing Alyssa Thomas’ 28.
In addition, Rhyne Howard became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 3-pointers this season after clinching her 100th one Monday night.
Quotable:
“Just keeping high intensity during the whole game. We knew for us, conversions, that’s one of our strong suits, and we know doing that tonight, we’re able to create opportunities for each other.” -Allisha Gray on what worked for the team against Toronto
“I’m loved here in Atlanta. This organization has made me feel so well about myself. That’s why when it was time to extend and re-sign, it was no hesitation from me. This is a place I definitely want to retire, finish my career, playing on the dream. But just the support is so amazing. And then, the little kids really make me feel good because no matter how I play, I can have an on night, off night. They don’t see all of that, they see me as the person, and they make me feel good regardless of the game that I have.” -Allisha Gray on the representation and support on her goggle night.
“Oh, it makes it so easy, you know, playing out there with her (Reese). Just being able to have that inside, outside, you know, I can find her in the post. She can find me in the post. I think we’re still building that chemistry a little bit, but I think we’ve found a rhythm working together in that way.” -Bri Jones on playing alongside Reese
“We’re capable of being a really good offensive team and be a consistently good offensive team. And you know what we have is the ability to share the ball, and a lot of people can contribute, and it could be anybody’s night on a given night, but today it was like everybody’s night. Everybody had their moments, and to have so many people in double figures, I think kind of showed our willingness to share.” -Coach Smesko on his observations on the team’s progress.
“We’re a very dangerous team right now, but we haven’t been consistently great, and the goal is to be consistently great. And you only have so much time left to get there.
But today was a step in the right direction.” - Smesko on what the night’s performance says about the team.
“We can build a championship team and a championship organization here in Atlanta. We’re not there yet, and who knows what’s possible. I think this team, if we can put it all together, we have an opportunity. I just think the difference between the teams right now, there isn’t a huge difference between the best teams, and there’s not going to be a huge difference between one and eight in the playoffs. So it should be a lot of fun for everybody to watch. But who can get it going at just the right time? And I think our players believe it can be them. We just have to all be motivated, and just all try to give our best effort to getting better, so that we’re the best at the right time.” -Smesko on what Atlanta’s trying to build