On Thursday, June 6, the Atlanta Dream fell short in a tight contest against the visiting New York Liberty, who ran away with a decisive 78-61 victory. Breanna Stewart shone with a double-double, racking up 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Leonie Fiebich, Sabrina Ionescu, and Breanna Stewart each contributed five assists for the Liberty.
The Dream faced a relentless Liberty squad from the opening tip-off. New York maintained their lead at the end of each quarter and pulled away in the fourth, outscoring Atlanta 23-13. While the Dream showed promise early on, two key factors ultimately made the difference.
This season, the Dream have often turned to Aerial Powers to ignite their defense or offense off the bench. While Powers typically makes an immediate impact, her influence on this game was felt later than usual. It wasn’t until the latter stages that she made her mark offensively, finishing with 13 points, two assists, and three rebounds. Another notable performer for the Dream was Allisha Gray, who led the team with 16 points. However, the team’s 3-point shooting struggled, with Gray going 0 for 6 and the team collectively shooting just 14.3% from beyond the arc.
Lorela Cubaj also made her season debut, contributing four points, two assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block. “It felt good,” Cubaj said of her performance, crediting her teammates and coaches for their support.
As the Dream reflect on their performance, they recognize the need to establish their identity as a team. “The coaching staff is putting us in the right positions,” Aerial Powers remarked, “and we just have to have the fortitude to go out there and hustle.”
With a 4-4 overall record, the Atlanta Dream will now hit the road to take on Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on June 8. Catch all the action on WNBA League Pass.
