The Atlanta Dream beat the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx 75-73 at Gateway Arena in Atlanta. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 27 points, while Te-Hina Paopao led in assists with 4.
The Dream started Te-Hina Paopao, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Brionna Jones. This is the first time this group has started together.
Tonight closed out the regular season series with the Lynx, with the Dream winning two of the three matches. The hosts kept things close in the first half, leaving only a point to separate them from the Lynx in each quarter. The second half was a different story.
The Lynx took an 8-point lead in the third quarter and carried it into the fourth. The Dream came together collectively and mounted a comeback to beat the league’s top team. Rhyne Howard contributed with a big-time three-pointer in the final minutes to increase their lead, but it was Maya Caldwell’s two free throws in the final 30 seconds that sealed the victory.
“Shout out to the Dream organization for organizing the AAPI night,” Te-Hina Pao Pao began, commenting on the crowd support after learning tonight’s victory tied the franchise record. “The support is crazy. I’m happy we got the W tonight. The game’s over now, so we got Saturday and we gotta prepare for the game with New York.”
“She’s not playing like a rookie, especially this far in the season. So, just seeing her growth from the beginning until now, I’m just proud to see her growth,” said Brionna Jones, who had four blocks on the night, of Te-Hina’s performance. The rookie celebrated her birthday with two steals and four assists to go along with her 8-point total.
The Atlanta Dream will travel to New York to face the Liberty on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2:00 PM. The Liberty sits second in the east, just behind the Dream, and ranks fourth overall in the WNBA standings. The Dream leads the east and sits second in the league standings.
-Jon Jones
Photos: NBAE (via Adam Hagy)
Related
