The Atlanta Dream had a fantastic outing in the nation’s capital after topping the Washington Mystics 80-70 in their first win of the preseason. The Dream’s Brittney Griner etched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while former Dream player Brittney Sykes led the Mystics with 13 points.
Popular draft pick and newly minted WNBA rookie Te-Hina Paopao put in a 20-minute shift in her first appearance with the team. The former NCAA champion notched seven points and contributed four assists on the night. Griner’s double-double was earned on her first appearance with the team as well.
Briona Jones, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Nia Coffey, and Brittney Griner contributed to the Dream’s first quarter dominance. Their defense held the hosts to just 10 points while mounting an impressive 20-point lead, ending the first quarter 30-10 in favor of the Dream.
The second quarter showed more of a balanced affair. Te-Hina Paopao drained her first three-pointer of the preseason, and Rhyne Howard closed the first half with 11 points. The Dream were outscored in every quarter after the first, but held a large enough lead out the gate that it wouldn’t matter. Jordin Canada started for Atlanta but left the floor with a right leg injury and didn’t return.
The Mystics’ Brittney Sykes led the hosts with 13 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Rookie Kiki Iriafen notched a solid 20 minutes and scored 12 points with six rebounds. Fellow rookie Sonia Citron managed five points out of her 18-minute outing and nabbed two steals for good measure. Fellow draft pick Georgia Amoore picked up an ACL injury before the match and was unavailable.
“I thought we did a good job of applying a lot of things we did in training camp,” said Nia Coffey after the game. “Obviously, we have a long way to go and some pieces to put together, but I think it’s a really good start.”
The Dream has started their preseason campaign on the right foot. After today’s win, they’ll head back to Atlanta and prepare to host the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 10, at 3:00 PM ET.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Getty Images
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