Dream put up huge numbers in win over Sun in Gateway finale
We now resume Dream basketball with a proper welcome back.
The Atlanta Dream closed out the final game of their series against the Connecticut Sun with a 103-59 win at Gateway Arena after a lengthy FIBA World Cup break.
Angel Reese scored 19 points and shot 80% from the field in the first half, while her “Thunder twin” Naz Hillmon kicked off the 3-pointers, propelling the Dream offense to a dominant showing in their return.
Both teams applied defensive pressure early and traded blocks in the paint, but it didn’t take the Dream long to click and pull away, closing out the half with a 10-point lead (45-35). The Dream put the Sun away early, entering the fourth quarter with a 76-46 lead and heavy momentum to build on.
Atlanta had the game in the bag by the time the second half rolled around. The energy shift, however, was prominent as the team built on its momentum with back-to-back layups from Jordin Canada and Allisha Gray and never looked back, keeping up the pace.
A Reese 3-pointer also came in the same quarter, bringing her to 26 of her 30 points and putting her in the lead among all scorers for the night.
In the past, the Dream have struggled with building a lead, only to slip near the end and give their opponent hope of creeping back into the game. In Thursday night’s matchup, that wasn’t a problem as they stepped on the court with a newfound energy to push through and finish strong.
Key moments
With 6:38 left in the game, Rhyne Howard made her first 3-pointer of the night out of nine attempts. This basket gave Howard the record for the most made 3-pointers (129) in a WNBA single season.
Top performers
Dream
- Angel Reese: 30 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST
- Rhyne Howard: 10 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST
- Allisha Gray: 10 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
- Naz Hillmon: 9 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST
- Te-Hina Paopao: 10 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST
- Madina Okot: 10 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST
- Jordin Canada: 5 PTS, 1 AST
Sun
- Olivia Nelson-Ododa: 13 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST
- Saniya Rivers: 9 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST
- Aaliyah Edwards: 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST
Highlight of the night
Paopao’s floating jump shot off an assist from Reese with 4:47 left in the first quarter gave the team a four-point lead and finally helped the Dream pull away from the Sun by a larger margin. Paopao racked up 10 points to cap off the night and was a needed force coming off the bench.
Quotable
“I was joking in the locker room. I’m very well-rested, and I was ready to play today, especially with this team, knowing how good we are, knowing how I felt after the last one against Minnesota. And right now it’s important to make sure we’re setting the tone and leaving a taste in everybody’s mouth about what the playoffs are going to look like and no matter what team we’re playing against. We have to be consistent every single day and every single game. So, I want to play first round right now, but obviously we just have to continue to just be ready and look forward to these.” — Reese on her 30-point, 10-game performance return.
“I mean, I’m breaking a 3-point record every year, so obviously I like to shoot. Shooters are going to shoot, so I’m going to put my name on it.” — Howard on her 3-point record.
“I think I’ve seen the resilience of a team that has been through the highs and the lows, the ups and downs, and just being able to see the sisterhood in the locker room as we always have each other’s back is something that’s always stuck out to me, even before I got to Atlanta. Being able to see how the girls just love each other, how they pour into each other, how they care into each other, it just feels really good … and that’s something that you really need, especially going into the playoffs.
“So I believe we’re going to go all the way, and obviously there’s going to be a lot of chatter on the outside, but as long as we continue to focus on what’s in our locker room, that’s all that matters.” — Reese on her observations while being in Atlanta.
“She’s (Howard) breaking the record for 3s in a season, but she does so much more. She’s one of the best players in the W. She’s got to be on the All-W team. I would say, first team. Her ability to guard multiple positions and make defensive plays offensively. You know, there are times we play her at point guard. She’s one of our best passers, best penetrators, smartest players. She’s just been exceptional. And today was a great game. It wasn’t a great shooting performance, but you saw how she impacted the game in so many other ways when the ball wasn’t going in the basket, and I think she’s been playing her best basketball this year, and I think that’ll continue the rest of this regular season. I think it’ll continue into the playoffs.” — coach Karl Smesko on Howard’s impact on the team despite a low-scoring night.