Newark, N.J. -- Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points and the Atlanta Dream used three big runs to cruise to a 79-58 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
Erika DeSouza had 12 points and Sancho Lyttle added 10 for Atlanta (1-3), which earned its first win of the season.
Essence Carson scored 21 points and Kia Vaughn had 16 for the Liberty (2-2), who have lost consecutive games at Prudential Center — their home for the next three seasons — after opening with two road wins.
New York, which had a 94-88 overtime win at Atlanta in the season opener on June 5, was held to its lowest scoring output after averaging 85 points its first three games.
McCoughtry, who missed the teams' first meeting, shot 6 for 11 from the field.
The Dream, who swept the Liberty in the Eastern Conference finals last year, put together runs of 11-0 and 9-0 in the first half and led by 12 at the break. They maintained their double-digit advantage throughout the second half.
DeSouza's layup stretched the lead 48-32 with 7:24 to go in the third quarter. Pondexter made a jumper and Nicole Powell hit a 3-pointer to pull the Liberty within 11, but they got no closer.
Sandora Irvin's two free throws with 6:24 left in the fourth capped the Dream's 10-0 run for a 69-48 lead. Alison Bales made two from the line about 1? minutes later give Atlanta its biggest lead, 73-50.
Atlanta scored 11 consecutive points bridging the first two quarters to take a 25-16 lead on Coco Miller's jumper in the opening minute of the second.
Carson, who scored 17 in the first half, made two free throws and had a layup, and Pondexter had a steal and fast-break layup to get the Liberty within three with 8 minutes left in the quarter.
Kelly Mazzante's 3-pointer with 1:37 left started a 9-0 run and McCoughtry capped it with two free throws 1:20 later to stretch the Dream's five-point lead to 44-30.
McCoughtry had 16 points in the first half and DeSouza added 12.
Liberty players Plenette Pierson, Alex Montgomery and Jessica Breland and assistant coaches Monique Ambers and Lady Grooms were involved in two separate traffic accidents on the way to the arena. None of the players or coaches was injured and all arrived before the tipoff.
