The Atlanta Dream finished a five-game homestand with just one win after an 89-77 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday at Gateway Center Arena.
The Dream (2-5, 1-4 home) committed 26 turnovers, including a fourth-quarter stretch of seven turnovers on seven straight possessions. The Sun scored the last five points of the third quarter to lead 65-60 entering the fourth. Brionna Jones and Tyasha Harris then scored the first eight points of the period and Connecticut led by at least nine points the rest of the way.
“Definitely the turnovers,” the Dream’s Cheyenne Parker said. “We talked about it in the locker room. They had (42) points of them. “You take away at least half of those and different game. We learning tough. It’s game seven. So we’ve got a lot of time to figure out how to put a full game together.”
Parker led the Dream with game-highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds. Allisha Gray added 18 points and Rhyne Howard had 16 points. The trio combined for all but five of the starters’ points and all but 23 of the total points.
“The tale of this game is on turnovers,” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright said. “Forty-two points off turnovers. You’re not going to win a lot of games like that.
The Eastern Conference leading Sun (8-2) were led by Alyssa Thomas with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jones had 18 points.
Wright also lamented the fact that the Dream sent the Sun to the free-throw line 30 times, as they made 21 of the attempts.
“They are the best team in the league in being able to get to the free-throw line,” Wright said. “We gave them exactly who they are.”
The Dream begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday at the New York Liberty.
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