The Atlanta Dream secured a comeback 82-80 home victory against the Phoenix Mercury on Friday. The Dream improved to 4-1 on the season with the win.
Dream’s Fourth-Quarter Rally
The Dream erased a 15-point deficit, mounting a dominant fourth-quarter rally. Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard fuelled the comeback, with the Dream taking control late to seal the victory.
Canada tied the game with 1:03 remaining after converting a tough and-one layup. She then knocked down the free throw to give Atlanta a one-point lead. Moments later, Howard buried a clutch 3-pointer off a pass from Canada to extend the advantage. The Dream then iced the comeback victory at the free-throw line after Phoenix were forced to foul down the stretch.
Reese’s All-Around Performance
Reese delivered another strong all-around outing, including a game-sealing steal. She finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in the victory.
Howard led Atlanta with 21 points while shooting 46 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. Gray added 18 points for the Dream. Canada also recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 assists, while adding seven rebounds and three steals in the comeback win.
Mercury’s Leaders in Defeat
For the Phoenix Mercury, Alyssa Thomas led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Kahleah Copper also finished with 20 points in the loss.
Game Summary
The Dream trimmed the deficit to 44-37 by halftime after closing the second quarter on a strong note. A 3-pointer from Indya Nivar capped a 24-point quarter for Atlanta, which responded after being outscored 25-13 in the opening period by the Mercury. Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm coming out of halftime, with Atlanta entering the fourth quarter trailing Phoenix by eight points.
Looking Ahead for Atlanta
The Dream opened the season with back-to-back wins before narrowly falling to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces by one point in their third game. Allisha Gray paced Atlanta’s offense throughout the stretch, pouring in 75 total points across the three contests. Atlanta quickly responded with an emphatic bounce-back performance, cruising to a 17-point victory over Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings behind a 25-point outing from Rhyne Howard.
The Dream will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they travel to face Natasha Howard and the Minnesota Lynx on the road.