Game 1 of the first-round WNBA playoff series between the No. 4-seed Atlanta Dream and No. 5-seed Washington Mystics began in all-too-typical Atlanta fashion.
The Dream team that closed out the season playing with confidence and crispness was nowhere to be seen as the Mystics executed in ways the belied their inexperience.
Something, however, woke up the Dream at halftime, with Atlanta, after trailing by as many as 11 points, coming alive in the third quarter.
DeWanna Bonner, a late-season veteran signing
intended to imbue the Dream with the intensity and tenacity required to succeed in the postseason, provided the perfect punch, scoring 11 of her 13 points in the third quarter. Bonner’s boost propelled Atlanta to the 92-77 victory.
After the game, Bonner shared the well-earned wisdom that was behind her timely scoring surge:
One thing you can’t do in the playoffs is be uptight. You’ve still got to play fun basketball. You’ve still got to laugh and enjoy this moment. I think the second half settled us down, and we had fun.
Of the two-time champion who was playing in her 99th career playoff game, Dream head coach Karl Smesko emphasized:
She made so many big plays for us. And the enthusiasm she played with … it’s not just the playoff experience [she has], it’s the joy of playing basketball. And that was contagious for everyone. It just made a huge difference in the outcome of the game.
With the experienced assist from DB, Atlanta’s Big 3 did the rest. Rhyne Howard scored 26 points, Allisha Gray added 22 points and Angel Reese finished with a 13-point and 12-rebound double-double. Howard’s five steals also spurred Atlanta to a franchise-record 16 takeaways.
Swish Appeal’s contributing photographer Christina Merrion made it to State Farm Arena for what became a Game 1 celebration. Here’re some of the moments she captured.
